Tinkerella
by Pebble900
Summary: When Nya's father dies, leaving her an orphan in the care of her evil step mother Misako, she is left with no friends other then Cole, the cook, Lloyd the butler, and Zane, an invention of her and her father. But when Prince Jay holds a science fair rather than a traditional ball, she'll need all the help she can get from her godbrother, Kai.
1. Robots don't understand forks

There once was a young girl who lived happily with her father at his manor. Nya was her name. A sweet kind hearted girl who knew just how to make everyone smile.

The girls father was an excellent inventor, and had made millions with his inventions. Little did he know that Nya had the same knack for inventing as he did.

Nya was about seven when her father realized she needed a proper playmate. His wife died when Nya was born so she unfortunately had no brothers or sisters to play with. Really, the only people she ever really "played" with was Cole, the cook and Lloyd, the butler. Then one day Nya's father had a brilliant idea.

"And for the finishing touch," Nya was rummaging through her drawers, looking for the perfect accessory to top off her new dress up doll.

"And... Perfect!" She exclaimed with a glowing smile.

Lloyd glared up at her, quite agitated.

"Nya, when I said I would play, this was definitely not what I had in mind," he growled, which just made the little girl giggle.

Nya had forced Lloyd into her favorite lime green jumper, which was now beginning to rip near the seams. She gave him sparkly sandals, covered his face with blush, added a little mascara and lipstick, and a hot pink bow in the hair to top it all off. All of this was too funny to the little girl, for she couldn't even look at Lloyd and keep a strait face.

"Oh Nya, lunch is-" her father called as he opened the door to see what his daughter had been up to. Nya starred up at her father, eyes wide as if she already knew what her punishment was going to be. As for Lloyd, he said nothing other then mouthing the words; help me.

"Uh... Nya, I think we need to have a talk," her father continued, trying to ignore Lloyd's humiliation, and motioned for the girl to follow him out into the hallway.

"Nya, I know you only dressed Lloyd up like that, because you want someone to play with, but I think your starting to take it a little far," he tried to explain in a way that a seven year old could understand.

"You should have seen what I did to Cole," she giggled. Her father's eyes widened with concern, but quickly looked away, pretending to ignore what his daughter just said.

"How would you like a real friend," he asked. Nya starred at her father in wonder of what he could've meant. "Why don't you follow me to my laboratory."

Nya followed her father across the hall, down a flight of stairs, through the living room and kitchen to the back stairwell. She watched carefully as he taped on the wall, when a panel came lose into a hidden room. Her father's famous laboratory.

He rummaged through several drawers of blueprints lined along the dirty walls before finding what it was he was looking for.

"Aha!" He cried, feeling a sense of triumph. "What do you think?"

Nya took the dusty blueprints from her father, to get a look for herself.

"Huh?" She gasped. It was a man. A robot to be exact.

"I thought you might like to help me build him," he said with caution, unsure of how his daughter would react.

"Zane," she replied.

"Excuse me?" Nya's father asked.

"That's his name," she replied, "of course he has to have a name."

At that, her father smiled, knowing it was her way of saying yes."Well, then we better get building," and father and daughter sought to work.

4 years later...

Nya was in her father's laboratory, working away at Zane. The recent events of the past few months were buzzing through her head like bees. The more she tried to swat them away, the harder they would sting. The more stings, the more pain. So much pain, that it made her cry.

About four months ago, her father remarried. Her name was Misako. She had two daughters that were also eleven, Grace and Lana. Only a few weeks later did her father become gravely ill and pass away. Since then, Misako forced her to become a maid even though they already had a cook and a butler. Nya has only found peace in her father's laboratory, working on the invention she and her father started four years ago.

"Let's just tweak those wires there, and make sure they're secured properly," she thought aloud, blinking away tears. "And... Done!"

Nya felt a surge of pride. After years of work, she had finally made a man. Although, following her pride, came sorrow. For now she wished more than ever for her father to be here, sharing the moment of glory.

Using the greatest of care, she lifted Zane through the entrance, into the kitchen.

"Whoa! What is that?" Asked Cole, starring in awe, as he finished washing dishes. He tried to lift up the tarp Nya wrapped the giant metal contraption in only to have it pulled away.

"No peeking," she taunted, unable to hide the grin on her face.

"Fine," Cole grunted.

"Hey, could you gather everyone in the dinning room? I want to show off my father's invention to them," she asked.

"Sure. Just give a holler if you need any help," he replied, and left the room.

Closing the doors to be sure that no one saw anything, she pulled away the tarp she used to keep him secure.

He was wearing a simple shirt and pants, for Nya wanted to start with simple things, worried that anything to complex might cause his system to overheat.

She reached for the memory switch to turn him on. *Flick. Some of the circuits made a small hum noise, but it quickly died.

Zane's eyes opened, and he started to wander about the kitchen as his circuits began processing information. Nya watched him carefully to make sure everything was functioning correctly. Gears seamed to be moving correctly. Now to test to see if he can hear and respond.

"Hi Zane," Nya greeted, not really sure of what else to say.

Slightly surprised, Zane dropped the fork he was examining, and turned towards her.

"My names Nya," she continued, "your name is Zane."

"Nice to meet you Nya," he said, extending his arm, as though to shake hands.

Nya smiled at him, which Zane didn't quite understand, but made him feel good inside. Zane liked Nya. She seemed like a nice person.

After properly meeting Nya, Zane picked the fork up off the floor.

"What is this?" He asked, twisting it around as to try and find a purpose for it.

"It's a fork," Nya smiled, "you eat with it."

After examining the fork a little more, Zane bit down on it.

"Ouch," he cried, jumping back in surprise.

"Not like that," Nya couldn't help but giggle. "C'mon, there's some people I'd like you to meet."

Zane followed Nya to the doorway when she called, " and leave the fork behind."

Zane starred at the fork longingly for a moment before running back to place it gingerly on the counter.

In the dinning room, the table pushed back against the wall with the chairs Lined in front of it.

"Cole, what is the meaning of this?" Asked Grace for the third time.

"We already discussed this," he moaned, rolling his eyes. "Nya wants to show you her invention."

"It better be worth," Lana whispered to Grace, just loud enough for Cole to here.

Cole was about to lose it with those two when Nya came from the door to the kitchen.

"Hello, now my father and I have been working on this invention for a long time now," she started. She seemed perfectly calm on the outside, but Cole could tell she was nervous. Nya always stalled when she was nervous.

"Now, I'd like you all to meet Zane," she announced, her eyes glowing with pride. As Zane stepped out of the kitchen, Cole and Lloyd starred in awe and amazement were as Misako, Grace, and Lana didn't look the least bit impressed.

"It took four whole years to complete him, but we did it! With a complicated circuit system to represent nerves, he can feel pain both physically and mentally," Nya began to explain, opening up the panel on Zane's chest.

When she did, both Grace and Lana shrieked in fear, causing Zane to freak out a little, his circuits starting to overheat.

"That's no man ," Misako cried, "it's a mechanical monster! All he'll ever be good for is scaring little children!"

"Get that THING out of here!" Lana screamed.

"Please stop," Nya pleaded, closing Zane's chest panel. "He has emotions just like anyone else."

"Nya, he's nothing but a robot," Misako stated with firmness. "I pile of scrap metal you and your father threw together! There's not a place in the world for something like that!"

On that note, Zane, looking close to tears, ran back into the kitchen, and out the back door. Grace was in tears, acting like she almost had a heart attack, Lana was crying too, clinging to her sister, Lloyd and Cole looked as though they didn't know what to think in all the chaos, and Misako was just sitting there, arms crossed over her chest, an evil smirk spread across her face.

"Zane!" Nya called as she ran into the kitchen. The room was empty, so she ran outside and continued to call for him.

Just when she thought she'd lost him, Nya stopped against a nearby tree. As she tried to catch her breath, a fork fell right at her feet.

"Zane, why are you in a tree?" Nya sighed, starring up at Zane who perched himself in a high branch.

"Why were they being so mean? Aren't all people as nice as you?" Zane wondered out loud, ignoring Nya's question.

"I guess that's just the hard fact about life," she replied, as she began to prod the fork on the dirt road with her foot.

"Surely there is a place for me in this world. I'm more than just a pile of scrap metal," Zane sighed.

"I'll find you a place," Nya promised, "I'll do whatever it takes. Your family Zane. Nothing will ever change that."


	2. Metal birds and spirit smoke

**Hi guys! Sorry I forgot to put the authors note in the first chapter.** **This is my first fan fiction and let me just say, when I woke up this morning and saw all the reviews, I was so happy I could blow up inside! A few people I'd like to give a special thanks to are Speedy, PowerinPink, Nindroidgirl, wizard101, KaitioKiwi, and all the rest of you who reviewed my story. So I've decided to reward you all by posting more chapters! I'll probably post 1 ****_maybe_**** 2 more over the course of the day. I'm currently backstage at my dance recital and I'm posting chapters as I write them, so I make no promises. So on that note, please enjoy!**

On the other side of Ninjago stood a magnificent palace, home to King Ed, Queen Edna, and Prince Jay. Everyone loved their King and Queen. Both were kind hearted and always wanted what was best for the kingdom.

Prince Jay, however was a bit of a trouble maker. He was always in his workshop, tinkering away at some little gadget or gizmo. All three were quite talkative.

After many years of throwing hundreds of royal balls and elegant parties, the Prince has yet to find a fair maiden to marry. So many times have the King and Queen failed, they were starting to run out of ideas.

"What if we set up a kissing both at the royal fair," King Ed suggested, "and who ever kisses him first, would marry him."

"Honey, I'm afraid that would just lead to humiliation," Queen Edna sighed, ready to give up. "For Jay and the family."

"I know. It was an idiotic idea," the King started to drum his fingers on the table in thought. "It would never work."

Just then, some form of a metal bird came flying in through the window, crashing into the chandelier, narrowly missing the King's head. Plucking the odd contraption from the now broken chandelier, he ran out onto the balcony, boiling with rage.

"Jay," he shouted, looking like a raspberry, ready to burst.

"Oh, hello father," Jay looked down at his feet, blushing with embarrassment. "Could I have that back?"

In his anger, the king threw the contraption down and watched as it shattered.

"Hey! That took me three months just to design!" Jay shouted, losing his temper.

Without responding, the King went back inside to continue his discussion with his wife.

"Maybe we should consult the wiseman," the queen suggested. "Perhaps he might have some answers."

"Very well," the King decided, "I will leave tomorrow."

On that note, the King left. Once he was gone, Queen Edna let out an exasperated sigh. The King had once been so close to his son, that at times, they'd be inseparable. Now they could barely be in the same room together for five minutes without getting into a fight. Edna hated seeing her boys like this. Maybe the wiseman can bring their bickering to an end.

The following morning, the King set out early, hoping to reach the wiseman by noon. Wiseman Wu lived atop the mountain of a million steps which wasn't very far from the palace, but he wanted to leave plenty of time to climb.

Wiseman Wu was sitting under the single lonely tree, the spirit smoke, slowly rising.

"Hello King Ed," the wiseman said, just as the King reached the top of the mountain.

"I've come... For advice..." He panted.

"Let me guess," Wu cut him off, "you've come because Jay still hasn't found a noble maiden to marry."

"Yes... How did you-"

"The spirit smoke told me of your family's troubles."

King Ed looked away, trying not to looked weirded out.

"The spirit smoke insists you try inventing some other way to find Jay's true love," he continued, emphasizing on the word inventing.

"I still don't follow you," the king was quite confused by what the wiseman meant.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" He cried, starting to wonder if the King really wanted advice, or just wanted to waste his time. "A fair. All the maidens bring an invention of there own. Surely this will grab your son's attention, and he won't miss a chance to marry a beautiful woman who can invent amazing creations the same he can."

"Very well, I will have invitations sent out to every maiden in the land," King Ed decided, feeling a sense of triumph. "There is no way Jay can deny them all."

Feeling satisfied, the King left without thanking the wiseman. Wiseman Wu smiled and went back to watching the future unfold in the wisps of the spirit smoke.

The King arrived back at the palace later that evening.

"I found a solution!" He shouted as he burst through the double doors into the dinning room.

The Queen and the Prince starred at him like he'd gone insane.

"Do continue dear," replied the Queen while Prince Jay just returned to his meal.

"A science fair," he cried in triumph. "We can invite every maiden in Ninjago."

The idea of a fair appealed to the Prince. A girl that could help him repair and improve upon his bird.

"Father, maybe I could find a maiden to help me with my inventions like the falcon," Jay suggested.

"Your not talking about that blasted contraption of yours that damaged the chandelier," asked King Ed with a

Disgusted tone.

Knowing better to talk back with his father, Jay held his tongue, despite being deeply offended. _Will he ever understand that I can make decisions a on his own_, the Prince wondered. _One day_, he decided. _One day he'll understand._

**Please read and review. Again, I apologize if this chapter is a little scatterbrained, I'll pretty much just be going back and forth between performing and my iPod all day. I'm hoping to post at least 1 more chapter. Thanks so much for reading! =)**


	3. The Letter

**Yay! Another chapter. Dance recital was a success! Honestly, I'm kinda glad it's over. I mean, I was trapped in a leotard for 8 strait hours, and for 1 number I had only 5 seconds to change costumes and get back on stage. So, yay, no more hectic weekend! Thank you guys so much for reviewing my story! You guys are awesome! Now, for chapter 3!**

Nya was in the kitchen, washing the last of the dishes for Cole and Zane. It took a lot of convincing, but Misako finally agreed to let Zane stay and work with Cole in the kitchen. It wasn't the perfect place, but as long as he was still with Nya, Zane was fine with it.

Suddenly, shouting came from the hallway. Nya knew that meant only one thing, mail from the palace.

"Give me the letters!" Screamed Lana.

"Get off me," cried Lloyd.

Nya raised her eyebrows, pondering wether or not to go out and help him out when Grace and Lana burst through the door waving four letters around in triumph. Just behind them was Lloyd, his clothes torn and hair ruffled, he looked as though he was just attacked by a pack of wild dogs. Zane and Cole were close behind. Zane looked utterly confused where as Cole had his head in his hands and could probably use some aspirin from all the screaming.

"Let me see those," demanded Misako, as she entered from the dinning and plucked the letters from her daughter's hands. "Let's see... One for Grace, one for Lana."

The two seventeen year olds squealed with delight, and reached for their letters only to have Misako pull them away.

"Girls, be patient and let mother finish," she cooed with an erie tone. "This one's for me, and, oh. This one's just junk mail." She sighed as she tossed the fourth letter on the kitchen table.

Nya reached for the rejected letter, seeing that it was addressed her, and was also from the palace. It was just inches from her fingertips when Misako snatched it away.

"Nya, dearie, you've worked so hard. Let me throw that out for you," and she tucked the letter into her back pocket, signaling to Nya that she wasn't getting it back. "Girls, why don't we go to the library, were we can open these letters in private."

"Why would they want to read their letters in private?" Asked Zane after Misako, Grace, and Lana had left. "It's not like there is anything personal in them."

"It's because they don't want Nya to go to whatever party they've been invited to," replied Lloyd, which just made Nya want to cry.

"You know what? I don't care what Misako says. Nya, your going to whatever this party is, and I'm going to make sure of it," Cole decided, putting his fist down on the table. "There's a window looking out on the gardens in the library. Maybe we'll be able to hear them from there."

None of them liked the idea of eavesdropping, but knowing they probably wouldn't get the information any other way, Nya, Lloyd, Cole, and Zane set out to the gardens searching for the right window.

"Hey guys, I think this is the one," Lloyd called to the others, after about ten minutes of circling the house. "It's high enough, and if I remember correctly, the view is the same."

"But it's at least ten feet up," Zane pointed out, "how are ever going to reach it?"

"I have an idea," Cole replied after taking a moment to ponder the situation. "Zane, get on my shoulders."

Zane hesitated for a moment, before cautiously climbing onto Cole's shoulders.

"Now Lloyd, you climb on Zane, and then Nya on top," he instructed.

One by one, they were able to just reach the window.

"Nya, can you see anything?" Cole asked, gasping under the weight of his friends.

"Yea, they're just opening the letters now," she whispered, trying not to be seen or heard by her stepmother or sisters.

"Let's see, what party or ball you fine young ladies have been invited to this time," Nya heard Misako tell her daughters.

"'Congratulations! You as well as every other maiden in the kingdom... blah, blah, blah... have been invited to this years science fair'!?" She read aloud. "'Everyone is required to bring their own invention to present to the Prince.'"

_A science fair_, thought Nya. _Sounds much more interesting than a traditional ball_.

"I call bringing Zane!" Lana shouted, loud enough for him to hear.

"What?!"Asked Zane, rather confused.

"No fair," cried Grace, "I say whoever catches him first gets to take him!"

At that, Zane started to tense up.

"Hey, Zane, stop fidgeting," Lloyd whispered.

"Uh oh!" Cole cried, "going down!"

Cole's legs gave away, and they all toppled to the ground. Misako heard a crash coming from the window. She leaned her head out the window, searching for the source of the noise. All seemed peaceful out in the gardens, so, not bothering to look down below the window ledge, and went back to discussing the ball with her daughters. If she had looked down, she'd have seen Nya, Zane, Cole, and Lloyd all in a pile, clearly eavesdropping.

"Ugh, is everyone alright?" Nya moaned. Despite falling the farthest, she luckily had taken little damage.

"Yeah, we're fine," replied Lloyd, "no injuries."

"So, now all we have to do is find the perfect invention to present to Prince Jay," Cole summarized, "that shouldn't be to hard, your father has tons of blueprints to inventions he never made."

"But we still don't know when the fair is," Zane pointed out.

"I'm sure I'll hear enough about the fair from Grace and Lana to figure that one out for myself," Nya reassured him.

Their plan was starting to come together. Lloyd, Cole, and Zane were determined to get Nya to the fair. As long as Lana or Grace didn't get in the way, they might be able to pull it off. But the question still lingered in the back of their minds. Will they really do it?

**sorry if this chapter or the last one weren't as good as the first. I did a lot of running back and fourth. I swear, as soon as I finished a number, I changed and went right back to typing. I apologize for any random cat was "helping" edit the story. I think i got most of them... =)**

**I'm afraid I won't be updating this regularly during the week. Between school, homework, dance, drama, and spending time with friends, I don't think I'll be able to update everyday, but I'll try to have another chapter before the weekend. Quick question. Which is the correct spelling. Yea or yeah? Please review. I love when you review!**


	4. Falcons and Leashed Dogs

**Hey guys! Another chapter, yay! Sorry if this one is on the shorter side. I've had a bit of writers block. Let me just say I had the best geography class today! Nothing is more fun then watching your fellow classmates get whacked in the face with a giant plushie globe.=)**

Nya was sorting through all her fathers old blueprints. Since most of them had been left untouched for ten years, they had faded away with age, and were nearly impossible to read.

As she opened another drawer, a large explosion of dust sent her into a coughing fit. As, the air cleared Nya took a closer look at the drawer's contents. Many of these prints were covered in a heavy layer of dust, and were probably older than she was, but unlike a lot of the others, she didn't recognize any of them.

Most of the blueprints, Nya remembered watching her father draw, or had been shown to her to get an opinion, but not these ones. They didn't appear to be as advanced as the other ones. Simpler, much less complex. However, there was one in particular that caught her eye. It looked like some sort of bird. Sure enough, in the corner, in her father's handwriting, was one word. Falcon.

"Hey Zane?" Nya shouted from her father's laboratory.

"Yeah," he answered, standing in the doorframe between the kitchen and laboratory. He wore the same pink apron and held a dirty dish rag.

"One of these days, I'm going to have to make you an apron that's more your color," she smiled, before returning to the original reason she called for him. "What do you think?" Nya held up the blueprints so Zane could get a better look.

"A falcon," he gazed in awe at the magnificent design. "You plan to make this for the fair?"

"I found it in a drawer full of old blueprints," she pointed towards the pile of faded dusty papers. "It looks as though it could have been in there for nearly twenty years. I'm defiantly making it for the fair."

"You'll need to be careful though," Zane cautioned, "if Grace or Lana found it, who knows what they'd do. They might tell Misako, or try to claim it as their own."

"Don't worry," Nya reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"Nya! Zane! Get up here now!" They heard an angry Misako shout from somewhere upstairs.

"Ugh, looks like someone needs us," Zane groaned.

Nya put the blueprints to the falcon down, and started to sort through the rest, making sure they all made it back to the correct places. "I'll be up in a minute. Will you tell her that for me?" She asked.

"Sure," he replied, and on that note, Zane left to see what Misako could possibly want with him.

Once she finished sorting, Nya headed upstairs, in search for Zane and Misako. She found them both along with Cole, Lloyd, Lana, and Grace. All of them were gathered in the dressing room.

"Nya, were have you been?" Misako cried out in dis stress.

"I told Za-" she started before she was cut off.

"No excuses! I expect you to be here when I call you," Misako scolded the way any mother would, only there was no kindness behind her annoyance. "Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Nya sighed, her head bowed. As cruel and unfair Misako had been, she understood there was no longer any point to continuing her argument.

"Now, I have a list of chores and requirements for you all in the month leading up to the fair," Misako instructed. "Zane, go light on the meals, Lana and Grace need to fit in their dresses, and not be bursting at the seams."

Zane just nodded, but Cole didn't like what he was hearing, and wasn't going to let his friend take an insult like that.

"Hey, I cook to. If you pick on one chef, you have to pick on the other," he retorted, a good feeling burning inside him like a candle for standing up to Misako.

"Ok then. Cole, I don't even want to see you cooking. Your food is so bad, ugh! I can't even describe it. Now I don't need you making these girls sick before their big day," she growled, extinguishing the candle, which only made him feel worse.

"Lloyd, I need you to keep this house clean, and bring these lovely ladies anything they need," Misako instructed, emphasizing 'lovely ladies'.

"Yes sir," he tried to say with confidence, hoping to avoid a scolding or criticism. Misako glared at him for a moment, before he caught his mistake. "Ma'am?" Lloyd corrected himself, but with caution, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Better," was all she replied. "And Nya," she went back to giving instructions, "I want you to be ready to answer for my every need. If i say the floor needs to be washed, you washed, you wash it until it sparkles like new. Got it?"

"Got it," Nya replied, her head hung low, not at all fond of the idea of being Misako's personal servant.

"Good. I'm glad to see we're all on the same page." Misako said, satisfied that everyone understood how things would be running from now on. As for poor Nya, Lloyd, Cole, and Zane. They were now no more than dogs on a leash.

**Sorry for the delay. Again, everyone hates writers block, but at least I got it out before Saturday. My two favorite episodes of Ninjago are on right now, and I can't decide which one to watch(which is a major mentle crisis for me. Gaah!) What is your favorite episode? Oh, and I also got my avatar thingy. It's my cat, the real Pebble. I know I have a tendency to obsess over him, but how can you not love that face?**


	5. The Blueprints

**Yay! Another chapter. This one is rather long and not as interesting as some of the others. It's mostly just Jay reflecting over the past month and some important plot development. I want to thank everyone who has been reading my story. All your reviews have been awesome. I'm just going to quickly answer a few questions. Kai will be coming soon, hopefully in like the next few chapters. I know a lot of you don't like evil Misako, but it is nessisary for the story to make sense, and honestly, I've always wanted to know what Misako would be like if she was evil. It would be a rather boring story if Misako was really nice anyway. **

Jay was out on the balcony attached to his bed chamber. He watched closely as the sun began to sink below the horizon. As the sky changed from orange, to pink, to purple, to a deep shade of navy, the Prince let out a long sigh as he began to recap the events of the past few weeks.

The King has been busy planning every moment that he, his wife, and his son would spend at the fair, not to mention, everyone else to. This angered the Prince, for it meant his father wouldn't even let him have five minutes to do what he wanted. And, even though this was a science fair, not a ball, he was still required to have at least one dance, and after seeing how serious the King was about it, Jay knew he wasn't getting out of it.

Just today, tents were being set up all over the palace gardens, so everyone bringing an invention would have a proper place to get settled before they would present to the Prince.

Jay stood by his father, watching as servants and some other volunteers pulled the flat tarps high, until they came to a point forming a small room. The whole time, his father was lecturing him on how to behave in a manner that more ladies would find "appealing", but sounded rather pointless to the Prince. Most of the time, he wasn't even listening to the King, and was fiddling with his crown. He couldn't even find a real reason that his father had made him wear it. They were only watching as the servants made tents and other structures for the fair.

Jay couldn't understand why he had to have some sort of dance or party to find the right maiden to marry. It seemed, in his mind, that his father couldn't care less for Jay. Like there was some other reason.

_Don't be rediculous_, the Prince scolded himself. _Father was probably just stressed out after all these years of trying to find the perfect wife._ _Maybe I don't want to get married yet_, Jay thought. _No, don't be stupid, most men at your age have already found a lovely maiden to marry_.

More than anything, Jay just wanted to end all the fights he and his father always have. Once he found the perfect bride, then it would all end. But it seemed as though his father was determined to find that "perfect bride" for him. Not caring what the Prince had to say about it.

No, Jay was going to find the "perfect bride" on his own. He didn't care what his father had to say. He was going to find her. He was going to fix his falcon.

Jay ran back into the bed chamber, and pulled out a locked trunk he had hid under his bed. He grabbed a key out from under the wardrobe, and brought it back to the trunk. Slowly, he eased the key into the lock, when it suddenly gave a small *_click_, and opened.

The trunk's contents had become rather dusty, for they had been locked away for quite some time. Slowly, with great care, Jay removed his falcon from the trunk, stroking it, in hopes to clear away some of the dust. Knowing how mad it had made his father, the Prince had no choice, but to hide the metal bird, certain, that if the King found it, he wasn't getting it back.

After carefully, setting the falcon on the floor, the Prince dug deeper into the trunk, pulling out the original blueprints. Unlike some of his other inventions, the design was not his own.

When he was younger, they had been a gift to the King from a brilliant inventor, who owned an identical copy. However, his father, not being that interested in inventing as he once was, gave them to Jay, thinking he might hang it on his wall.

But the blueprints had a different effect on the little boy. They inspired him. He wanted to build the magnificent looking bird. After practicing by drawing blueprints and building his own contraptions, Jay started working on the falcon.

The Prince felt over the parts of the bird he had welded back together after his father smashed it. He was determined to find the last little gear he needed in order for the falcon to function properly. He would ask every maiden in the land when he saw their invention if they could fix it or might know of a gear that was the right size. He was going to fulfill his childhood ambitions, no matter what his father said.

Suddenly, Jay heard footsteps approaching his door. Quickly, but with care, he tucked the blueprints and the falcon back in the trunk and locked it shut. As the doorknob began to turn, the Prince slid the key across the floor, giving a quick sigh in relief as it just made it under the wardrobe.

"Jay, what in Ninjago are you doing?" Queen Edna asked, when she came in to see her son lying on the floor, reaching in the direction of the wardrobe.

"Uh... Stretching," Jay replied, hoping it sounded like a decent enough excuse.

"On that dirty floor?"

"Um, yes?"

"Oh, get up, your ruining your lovely robes," she scolded.

Quickly, the Prince got up and took a seat on his bed, knowing his mother wasn't going to be happy with him for not being ready for dinner.

"Is something bothering you?" She asked taking a seat next to him.

Jay, caught rather off guard by this question, shifted uncomfortably in his spot on the bed. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, I'm not going to lie to you," she sighed, "I've seen the way you act around your father. I want to know why you two are always fighting like that."

"I don't know," he admitted, relaxing a little, knowing that he could be honest with his mother.

"Is it your bird," the Queen asked her son, knowing how much pride he had in his falcon.

"Maybe," Jay began to wonder if that really was the case.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure."

Jay ran back over to the wardrobe to were he hid the key. He was slightly surprised that it had gone back a little further than he anticipated, but it was still reachable. With the key in hand, he pulled the trunk out, and unlocked it.

Carefully, Jay placed the falcon in his mother's lap, letting her feel over the dusty feathers.

"He really is beautiful," the Queen said, after a few moments of silence.

"Thanks," the Prince replied with a smile. "I just wish father thought so too."

"One day he will," Queen Edna smiled, "one day."

**Hope you guys liked it! Please review**, **and have a great winter break!**


	6. Broken Glass

**So sorry I haven't been posting! I've been to back to back family parties leading up to Christmas, and of course, after staying up till eleven every night, I've come down with a cold, and I'm losing my voice. Today, my mom drove my siblings and I up to NYC. So I'm now posting this from my hotel room. I will try to have another chapter out before Wednesday, when I'm back in school.**

Nya was busy, working away at the falcon. It was nearly midnight, and she should've been asleep a while ago, but Nya wouldn't rest until the falcon was complete.

Over the last few weeks, Misako has been giving her longer and tougher chores, keeping poor Nya up until ten to ensure that everything was perfect. Nya had been forced clean the house, inside and out. Trim every bush, and water every plant. Sew dresses, clean dishes, and answer to Her stepmother's every need.

Lloyd, Zane, and Cole had it no easier. Zane was working extra hard to make sure his cooking met Misako's standards, and found himself throwing away perfectly fine meals because they weren't approved. Lloyd has cleaned every room in the house many times over to ensure they were perfect. Cole, not being aloud to cook, was sent on errands into Jamanakai village, or helped Lloyd clean. Of course, whenever Lana or Grace wasn't trying on dresses, they would be harassing the others, merely for their own enjoyment.

Back to focusing on the falcon, Nya rummaged through a few drawers of spare wires, looking for one that was just the right length. Unfortunately, Nya was unable to order any parts, and not knowing how to make them herself, she had been disassembling her fathers old inventions. Most of those parts were made just for whatever creation they came from and were useless to Nya. Yet, somehow, she still managed to scavenge for enough parts. Zane even offered a few of his spares.

After carefully placing the wire into the bird, Nya gave a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off her brow. Now, all that was left was one small gear, that without it, the falcon couldn't function. After looking through so many boxes and other inventions, Nya had yet to find the gear that was the right size, and had the right number of teeth.

Luckily, the other day, while cleaning, Lloyd happened to stumble upon some plans for making gears. With these, Nya was able to construct that one last gear she needed. She wasn't able to use metal, like she hoped, but instead used glass. Nya opened the fiery oven to find the little glass gear she spent so much time making.

Ready to drop from exhaustion, Nya decided, once it cooled, she would head to bed, and put the gear in place in the morning. As reluctant as she was to do this, she knew it was best.

With a pair of tongs, Nya pulled the glass gear from the oven and quickly placed it into a bucket of water. Once the little piece of glass was cool enough to touch, she lifted it from the bucket, and set it down on the kitchen table.

With that done, Nya returned the tongs to their spot in the tossed the water out onto the garden, and made sure to place the bucket right back where she found it in the shed.

However, the bucket was placed in a rush, causing it to tip to one side, onto the one next to it, quickly starting the domino effect. Nya turned around, just in time to watch as the last of the buckets fell off their shelves, and began to roll around, knocking over other gardening tools. Panicking, Nya fled for the kitchen, not bothering to lock the shed behind her.

Lana bolted up right in bed. She could swear that she just heard a loud ruckus from her window over looking the gardens. Careful not to disturb Grace, who still slept peacefully in the bed beside her, Lana crept out of bed, and peered out the window.

In the darkness of the night, she could just make out a figure emerging from the shed. Within moments, she'd come to the conclusion that it was Nya.

Lana snuck back into bed, keeping her eyes fixed on the open doorway to the hall. Just as she'd expected, Nya came tiptoeing down the hall towards her room.

"Grace. Grace get up," Lana whispered in a tone that was barely audible.

"Ugh... Lana. It's the middle of the night," Grace moaned, rolling over in bed, as if her sister would go away if she ignored her. "It's really late."

"It's about Nya."

At this, Grace sat up, looking at her blonde haired sister, with a look that showed her interest. Lana gave a smirk, and gestured for the gingery brunette to follow.

The two sisters crept down the back stairwell to the kitchen, fearing that if their mother heard them on the stairway, they would be in major trouble. The kitchen was completely dark with the exception of a little moonlight coming through the window over the sink. Lana took a moment to find a candle from the pantry, but soon, she had just enough light to see.

"Hey, what's that?" Grace asked, pointing at a little piece of glass left out on the kitchen table.

After picking it up, and some close examination, Lana knew exactly what it was. "It's Nya's, it's defiantly hers."

_Nya was in a wonderful grassy field. The falcon was flying through the air, nearly twenty feet up. Zane, Cole, and Lloyd chased it in circles, reminding the black haired girl of puppies running after sticks. Suddenly, a horrific shaking overtook her, causing her to fall to the ground._

Nya's eyes snapped open and watched just as she fell face first to the floor. Giving a small grunt of pain, she sat up, rubbing her forehead. What happened? She hadn't rolled out of bed like that since she was little.

Suddenly, Nya noticed two pairs of fuzzy slippers heading for the door. Lana and Grace. As they were leaving, something fell from Lana's hand.

"Be glad I didn't tell mother," was all she said, but Nya paid no attention. She just curled up into a ball and cried.

Lana had dropped tiny shards of broken glass. The glass could only be, or have been the small gear Nya left carelessly in the middle of the kitchen table. Now all her efforts had been wasted.

** Please read and review. I didn't mean to take this long to post a new chapter. I've been writing some of a warriors fan fiction, but I'm not sure wether to post it. If any of you guys reading this are warriors fans, feel free to PM me, and I can send it to you. I could really use some feedback on it!=)**


	7. Memories

**Yay! Another chapter! I swore, it seemed so much longer originally, but when I look at it now, it's so short. This one's kinda boring, but got some key information and plot development. It's kinda sad, and I almost cried when I wrote it...(and I never cry for books, movies, or anything)**

Nya sat at the kitchen table, salty tears running down her cheeks. Lloyd, Cole, and Zane had gathered in the kitchen as well, examining the broken glass shards Nya had carefully wrapped in a handkerchief. Whenever she even glanced over at it, she couldn't help but burst out sobbing.

"I can't believe they would do such a thing," cried Zane at last.

"I can," Lloyd piped up, not really sure what to do about the situation.

"Lloyd, not helping," Cole snapped, giving him a glance.

Lloyd, took that as his cue to leave, and find something else to occupy himself with.

"Maybe we can make another gear," Zane suggested, trying to break up the awkward moment.

"No," Nya replied, trying to choke down her tears. "It took two weeks to make the one, and with the fair tonight, I defiantly won't be able to get away from Misako. There won't be enough time." With that said, Nya went back to crying, resting her head in her arms on the table.

Zane, trying not to be annoyed, for he had just cleaned that table, laid a hand on Nya's shoulder.

"Look..." Cole started, but could find no way to put a positive spin on the situation. Lloyd came back in, hoping to be more of use, but remained silent.

"Is there anything we can do to make it up?" Zane asked, trying to enlighten the mood.

"We can probably arrange a carriage to the palace if you want to meet the Prince," Lloyd suggested.

"No," Nya sniffled. "The Prince wasn't the real reason I wanted to go. I just wanted to be there. To show my creation to all of Ninjago. To see what others had made."

Feeling terrible, Lloyd reached for a clean dish rag for Nya to dry her cheeks with. Nya grabbed the rag from the butler's hands, and began wiping her eyes.

"You're a great inventor Nya," Cole smiled, "in fact, I'll bet someday, you'll be as famous as you're father."

"Thanks," Nya appreciated that her friends were trying to make her feel better, but all she wanted to do right now was curl up in a feeble position, and cry her eyes out.

"Nya! Cole! Lloyd! Zane!" Misako shouted from the dressing room. "Get up here NOW!"

"We should go," Lloyd sighed, a glum look spread across his face. "I don't want to see Misako angered anymore than she already is."

Slowly, Zane, Cole and Lloyd filed out of the room, while Nya, hurriedly wiped the rest of her tears, joining them again, moments later.

Upstairs, in the dressing room, Lana and Grace were busy bathing themselves, while Misako was laying out their dresses.

"Ah, you're here. And you're on time," Misako gave them a wicked smile. "That's new."

"What do you need us to do for today?" Cole asked, with a meaningless tone.

"Lloyd, today, you are going to be Lana's personal assistant," Misako decided, watching as the butler's eyes grew wide. "And Cole, you're Grace's."

"Wait. What?" Cole cried. He couldn't stand being around Grace for any longer then five minutes, and now he had to tend to her every need.

"Starting now," she ordered.

Cole and Lloyd ran off to help Lana and Grace with their bath, clearly not looking forward to the day. After they'd left, Zane and Nya returned their focus to Misako, not even able to imagine what kind of tasks they will be sent on.

"As for you two," She looked them both in the eye. "You aren't needed yet. However, you'll stay up here, where I can see you, until I need you."

Nya was pleasantly surprised that Misako was giving them a break, however, it was clear that Lana must've told her something. That is, judging by the way she said, 'where I can see you.'

So, for much of the time, Nya and Zane sat on the window seat, examining the drapes or the paintings on the ceiling. They didn't talk, in fear that Misako would punish them by making them rub her feet, or something else nasty. Lloyd and Cole did just about everything for Grace and Lana. Bathed them, dressed them, fetched them food.

Misako spent most of her time, either knitting, straitening out dresses, or making sure everyone, including her daughters, were all in line. She glared at Nya and Zane whenever they did something as little as shifting in their seats. She scowled at Lloyd or Cole if they weren't doing something right. She even gave her daughters warning looks if they started to mess with their hair or dresses.

Nya sat there for hours, doing absolutely nothing. Everyone was given a job. Even Zane was eventually sent to make lunch, and later to Jamanakai village to run a few errands. Why was Misako so determined to keep her in that one spot?

This was nothing like all the other balls Grace and Lana were invited to. It was always the same drill for those. Pick dresses, practice meeting the Prince, bathe until every inch of dirt has been removed, practice meeting the Prince, add make up, curl hair, practice meeting the Prince. Practice meeting the Prince, practice meeting the Prince, practice meeting the Prince. Always the same routine, every single time. Never had Nya, Cole, Lloyd, and Zane been so involved.

It was always about meeting the Prince. About impressing him, and winning his heart. Nya never understood why they tried so hard. It didn't seem like a difficult task.

When Nya was only about four or five, her father was invited to a huge party for King Ed. Of course, not wanting to leave his daughter behind, he brought her with him. Her father and the King were old friends, and whenever they were out spending there time doing whatever it was they would be doing, Nya would be with the Queen, and the Prince, who was just about her age. They would play games, like tag in the courtyard. She enjoyed playing with Prince Jay. It was different than playing dress up with Cole or Lloyd. They made up games. They pretended to be adventurers, wizards, pirates, and of course, Jay's favorite, ninjas.

After the party, Nya was always pestering her father to go back. Of course at the time, she didn't understand that he was royal, and visiting him again wasn't as easy as she thought. Weeks passed, which became months, and later became years. Nya never did go back. The memories drifted to the back of her mind, but were never truly forgotten. And now, more than anything, Nya wished that things could be as simple as they once were.

It wasn't until nearly eight o'clock, after she had been sitting in that one spot for over ten hours, Misako finally sent Nya to ready the horses. She stumbled a bit, getting up and walking to the door, after sitting for so long. At the stables, multiple pairs of horses, stood tucked away their stalls. Black, white, grey, all great horses that Nya had individually named when she was little. Since Nya wasn't given specific orders on which horses to bring, she picked her two favorite chestnut brown horses, Flame and Rocky.

As she brushed the dirt off the beautiful animals, the two white horses sensed her presence. All the horses knew Nya very well, and were always excited when she came to visit.

The two white horses began to whinny and neigh, louder and louder until Nya couldn't help but give them some attention.

"Shard, Wisp, calm down," she smiled, entering their stall to offer them each a carrot. Glad to see her, they each stole a carrot out of her hand. Shard pressed his nose into the girl's cloak, while Wisp began to prance around in excitement.

"I missed you too," Nya whispered, a single tear escaping from her eyes, sliding down her cheek."I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you."

She remembered all the comforts the stables had brought her. The gentle hoof fall of all the horses. The sounds of mice, nestling in the hay. All the times she'd spent with her father in the stalls. Getting to know each horse.

When her father died, Nya rarely visited the stables. Too many memories, too much loss, too much for her to handle all at once. Suddenly, she felt another soft nose being pressed into her back. Wisp.

"I promise, if I ever get out of here, I'm taking you and Rocky and Flame with me," she was sobbing now. "I promise."

After a few more minutes of stroking the familiar faces of some of her oldest friends, Nya returned to Rocky and Flame. She continued a barely audible sob, as she attached the horses to the carriage and led them out front.

Wiping the last of the tears away, Nya ran back into the house, up to the dressing room.

"The horses are ready," she panted, as she opened the grand double doors.

"Good," Misako replied, looking up from adjusting some of the laces on Grace's dress.

Grace had on a beautiful hoop skirt dress in the perfect shade of navy that matched the long curls of ginger brown hair. Lana's dress was the exact same, only in lime green. It to, matched her bleach blonde hair perfectly.

Nya couldn't help, but envy their beautiful dresses. If only her father was still alive. Them, maybe, she to would be in a wonderful dress, hair up in curls, waiting to go to the fair.

At the front gate to the manor, Nya, Lloyd, Zane, and Cole helped Misako and her daughters into the carriage. Lana and Grace each had their own 'invention' wrapped up, and tucked into individual boxes. Once the girls had settled down, Misako signaled to the driver and waved to the others who where releasing the horses.

"We'll be back at dawn," Misako couldn't help, but smirk. "So long."

With that, the driver whipped the horses, and galloped off into the night.

**Ok, I PROMISE Kai is in the next chapter, and I will try to post it ASAP. And let me just say, I actually looked up the names of the four elemental dragons, and purposely named the horses after them. I also looked up hoop skirt dresses just to get an idea of what they looked like. So, I do put quite a bit of research into this. Please read and review. I love getting reviews! Now I have to get back to work on the next chapter if I ever want to post it.**

**Oh, and if you haven't heard, Ninjago is coming back! Does anyone have any ideas for what the next series might be about? I've already got my own theory...=D**


	8. Fairy godbrother

**This chapter came a little later then I had hoped. I was having trouble starting, for I couldn't get my creativity flowing. I swear, I got up and started typing. I think I even skipped breakfast to start this. I would've posted sooner, but my parents had this crazy idea that we should go to the zoo today.**

**This is the chapter that you've all been waiting for! I spent four strait hours trying to make this the absolute best it can be. Please review. I love reviews!**

Nya was sweeping in the kitchen. The old wooden floors creaked with every step. Not having much else to do since her stepmother and sisters left for the fair, she grabbed a broom, and went to work. She swept every spot of the already clean kitchen over and over. Every now and then, she considered going back to the dressing room to help Cole, Zane, and Lloyd clean up. Once or twice Nya even considered going out to the stables and saddling up Wisp or Shard, and go for a night ride to clear her head.

The more she thought about it, the more the young servant missed all the rides she used to go on with her father. Galloping through the woods on Rocky, the fresh air billowing in her face. The memories made Nya long to go back out on the old trails she rode with her father.

Suddenly, a rustle and crash from the pantry brought her back from her fantasies. _Mice_, she thought. Traps had been set throughout the house, but those pesky little creatures always seemed to slip away, right under their noses.

Nya picked up the broom, raising it as though it were a weapon. Slowly, trying not to make too much noise on the creaky kitchen floor, she crept her way over to the pantry. Taking a long breath, she kicked open the door. However, to her surprise, a man stood there, crazy brown hair, and wore a heavy red cloak.

Rather taken aback, and not knowing how else to react, Nya raised her broom and smacked him across the face. The man stumbled, and fell to the back of the pantry. Angered, he raised his hand, and shouted something in another language, Nya couldn't understand. Suddenly, the man's hands started to glow red. A ball of red light erupted from his hands, catching Nya, and sending her flying into the cabinets, when she blacked out.

Nya opened her eyes to find herself in bed, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd crowded around her. For a moment, she thought everything that happened in the kitchen was all a dream, until she spotted the man pacing the floor. A red mark left on his cheek from the broom. She thought for a moment how much it must hurt, when she realized the throbbing pain in her head from where she collided with the cabinets.

"Nya what happened," Lloyd asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I was sweeping, when I heard a noise in the pantry," she grunted with effort, struggling to sit up. "When I found that man, and whacked him with my broom." Nya gestured towards the man in the red cloak, who ceased pacing, coming a little closer, but still keeping a distance. "You hit me with a fire ball," she said directly to him.

"You hit me with a broom," he retorted, "and ow!"

"Who are you?" Zane asked plainly, his tone full of curiosity.

"I'm Kai," he sighed looking Nya in the eye," your... Fairy godbrother," he looked away, rather embarrassed.

"Your a fairy?!" Cole looked as though he could burst with laughter. "Do you have wings?"

"Why do you think I wear this stupid cloak?" Kai retorted, "because its fashionable?" At that point, Cole could no longer keep his laughter contained, and stepped out into the hall to calm himself.

"Ok, if anyone even mentions the word fairy-" Kai exploded as soon as Cole left, but Lloyd quickly cut him off.

"Yeah, we get it, you'll knock us out with a fire ball," Lloyd tried to calm him. "Now, why are you here?"

"Alright, I've been sent here to help Nya get to the fair." He sighed before replying. "Now, I need all the help I can get. You-" he gestured towards Zane.

"Zane," Zane introduced himself.

"Zane, go get your weird friend from the hall and find some old pots," Kai ordered," and you."

"Lloyd." Lloyd smiled, starting to like this guy.

"Lloyd, go get some drapes," he instructed. "And Nya, get your falcon. I want all of you to meet me out front when your done."

Lloyd happily ran into Misako's room, eagerly yanking all the expensive silk drapes down. Although, he knew he wouldn't need all of them, he did the same in Grace and Lana's room to, for it gave him a sense of triumph.

Cole and Zane searched through all the cabinets until they found all the pots they could carry.

Nya was hesitant, not really sure what her godbrother was going to do with some curtains, old cooking pots, and an unfinished robot. But she didn't question him. The falcon had been tucked away into the back of her father's laboratory, for Nya didn't want Misako, Grace, or Lana to wander in there and find it.

With the falcon secure in her arms, Nya walked slowly around to the front of the house. Lloyd, Zane, and Cole were already out front with Kai. Seeing were the drapes and pots had been set down, Nya carefully placed the falcon down next to them.

"Everyone, stand back," Kai instructed. After they were all well out of the way, Kai began to chant some ancient language. His hands began to glow as they had before. And just like last time, a fire ball erupted from his hands, flying into the pile of old pots.

The pots were soon engulfed by a glowing red light, to blinding to look at. Nya covered her eyes, trying to avoid blindness. When the light died, and the girl looked back. She was astonished to find what once was some rusty old cooking pots was now a magnificent carriage.

"Now for some horses..." Kai muttered, half to himself. "Um... You two," he gestured towards Cole and Zane. "Stand there."

The cooks hesitated for a moment, before standing just in front of the carriage. Kai began chanting again, when Cole's eyes grew wide.

"What are you-" he started, before a fire ball hit them both. The same process, with the blinding red light. When Nya and Lloyd looked back, they both fell to the ground in laughter.

"What?" Cole asked. Seeing the smirk on Kai's face, he knew something was up. Wait, did he get shorter? "Kai, what did you-" Cole paused, for out of the corner of his eye he could see Zane. White fur, long mane. He knew exactly what Kai had done.

"You turned us into horses?!" Cole exploded, realizing he two had silky black fur, coarse tail, rock hard hooves.

"You know," Nya whispered to Kai, "we have plenty of horses back at the stables."

"I know," Kai replied with a smile. "I just thought this would be more entertaining." Nya couldn't help but smile back. "Consider this payback, pony boy." He yelled at Cole.

"You!" Cole growled, charging at Kai. He was just inches from the annoying fairy when he disappeared.

"What? Where did he-" Cole started.

"Up here," Kai called from the roof of the carriage. "Fairy doesn't look so bad now does it?"

Cole glared at him for a moment, before charging around in rage. Zane, seemingly unbothered by this transformation, gave Kai a warning glance. "As humorous as this is, I sense it is unwise to anger Cole anymore than he is already."

"True, I would like to get you to the fair before too late," Kai replied, again, to himself. "Go calm pony boy down, while we finish things up here."

Zane gave a sigh, and trotted after the former cook.

"We still need a driver..." Kai continued to himself. He dissipated off the carriage roof, and reappeared inches from Lloyd. Startled be this, Lloyd jumped back, losing his balance, and falling backwards onto the gravel pathway.

"What the heck?" Lloyd cried. Kai rolled his eyes and handed him a whip. Lloyd, rather confused by this gesture, and was about to ask why, when he was hit by a fire ball.

When the blinding light died, Lloyd was dressed up like any other carriage driver. Nya couldn't help, but giggle at this get up.

"Now go help Zane with pony boy," Kai smiled, mischief glowing in his eyes. Lloyd glanced down at his whip with a smirk, and ran off after Cole and Zane.

"Now for the dress..." Kai looked at the pile of drapes, and then at Nya, before he began chanting again.

When the fire ball struck the drapes, instead of glowing the way it had before, they began to rise. The fairy was moving the drapes through the air, while Nya gazed in awe as they began to change form. Kai began to lower the drapes, wrapping them around the girl. Nya was soon engulfed in the blinding light, the way her friends had.

When she opened her eyes, she looked down to see she was wearing the prettiest red dress she had ever seen.

"Thank you so much Kai," Nya couldn't hide the enormous smile spreading across her cheeks. She leaned in to hug him, when she saw the falcon, still sitting there. "What about the falcon?"

Kai glanced at the metal bird that, despite Cole's wild galloping around, remained untouched. Completely avoided by his rampage. Nya's godbrother reached into a pocket on his cloak, and pulled out a small glass gear, identical to the one Nya had originally made.

"Kai I-" Nya was about to thank him, when the little gear slipped and fell to the ground, splitting in two. Kai sighed and pulled another from his pocket.

"Hold that one extra tight," he smiled, before reaching into his pocket again. "And a spare, incase you drop that one to."

Nya clutched the little gears in her fist. "Kai, how can I ever repay you?"

"You don't need to," he told her. "I'm your godbrother. I'm supposed to watch out for you. Just remember, when the spell ware's off, everything except for those gears will return to what it was before."

"When will the ware off," Nya asked, with a hint of concern.

"At exactly eleven forty-five. Not a moment sooner. Not a moment later."

"Eleven forty-five? Why not midnight?"

"I am your godbrother! Thus giving me the right to be as overprotective, and stubborn as I please," Kai turned away from her, crossing his arms over his chest. Nya couldn't help, but smile as she rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, a loud whinny came from wherever it was Cole, Zane, and Lloyd had run off to. Nya began to look around, trying to find them. They weren't very far, for moments later, Lloyd came flying, and crash landed in the shrubs.

"You used the whip on Cole," Nya asked. Lloyd didn't respond, due to his loss of breath, for he only nodded.

"I really should go help them," Nya sighed, turning back to Kai. "Will I ever see you again?"

"I promise," Kai smiled. "have fun at the fair."

Nya stood back and watched as Kai began to dissipate. As soon as he was gone, she ran off to help Lloyd with Zane and Cole. Tonight would be a night that they would all remember.

** I hope this chapter met your expectations! Please read and review. I can't promise the next chapter will be soon. School starts back up tomorrow, and I have drama auditions on Saturday. Well, until then. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to silently curse this site's annoying spell check... **


	9. The Fair

**Yay! This is the longest chapter yet! It seems, lately my chapters have been getting increasingly longer... Awesome! Auditions were a sucssess! I think... I don't actually know what part I have until tomorrow. I have, to this moment, 99 reviews. That's one away from a hundred! You guys have no idea how happy this makes me!**

Jay sat in his throne that overlooked all the action down in the courtyard. The Prince was supposed to be down there, while all the maidens in the land presented their "masterpieces" to him. After a few hours, and starting to become a little restless, Queen Edna dismissed him from his duty, allowing her son a short break.

So far, Prince Jay had been utterly disappointed. At least two hundred lovely women have presented to him, and all of them have failed to meet his expectations. None of them seemed to have any interest in tinkering, whatsoever. They all just wanted to impress him.

Jay gave an exasperated sigh, noticing it was nearly ten, and his father had told him he had to have one dance. The only dance he really knew was the English Waltz, and the orchestra was playing it soon. All he needed was a partner.

Of course, it was every young lady's dream to dance with a prince, so surely that couldn't be hard. Could it?

The gates to the Palace were wide open, the same way they were when Nya first came with her father. She felt like a child all over again. Nya remembered being only five - twelve years ago, exactly - sticking her head out the carriage window.

She felt the sudden urge to do it again. To relive that moment in life that effected her so heavily. Trying to seem more sophisticated, she only did so much as lean over, and peer out the side.

Nya gazed in awe at the familiar view of the courtyards. Suddenly, she was five again. Just a little girl, coming to stay at the Palace for a week with her father. She remembered all the excitement bubbling inside her. Her father telling her that a boy her age lived at the Palace. How overjoyed she was about meeting him. Someone her age to play games with when father was busy. Not just dress-up with Lloyd, or fairy princesses with Cole. Nya could only imagine the games she would play with that boy.

Nya quickly returned to the present, when she spotted tents lining the edge of the road. The carriage jerked a little as it came to a halt, making it clear, Lloyd wasn't very good at driving horses.

"When I pull back on the reins, that's your signal to stop," Lloyd face palmed, his tone brimming with agitation. "What part of that is not clear?"

"Well sorry," Zane apologized. "I've been a horse for a little over an hour. I'm still trying to get used to it."

"I don't see why I have to be a horse," Cole complained, kneading at the ground with his hooves.

"Hey, that was Kai's idea," Lloyd crossed his arms over his chest, replying in a defensive tone.

Cole rolled his eyes, and proceeded into the nearest tent. No one else had taken the tent yet, but it was clearly big enough for two or three more carriages. Once inside, Lloyd unhooked Zane and Cole from the carriage. The two former cooks eagerly trotted over to the trough of water, each taking long gulps.

Nya stepped gingerly out of the carriage, careful not to damage the falcon in her arms. It felt wonderful to finally be here, at the fair. Stepping out of the white cloth tent, Nya heard the clock strike ten. Only an hour and forty five minutes until the spell was broken.

Not far away, was a grand clearing. It had been bricked over, creating a massive space where many people had gathered. After the chiming of bells from the clock had ceased, Nya could faintly hear the English Waltz begin to play.

"You want to dance, don't you," Lloyd sounded from behind, reading the girl's thoughts. Nya looked down at the falcon in her arms, then back at the clearing. "I'll take the falcon," Lloyd said, moments later. "You go have fun, and be back here as soon as you're done."

Nya smiled, and, putting all her trust in her friend, handed the falcon over to him.

Jay looked out over the crowd, everyone perfectly in time to the music. The prince skirted the edges of the crowd, searching for someone, anyone without a partner. Then, he saw her. A girl in a crimson red dress, chin length black hair, not done up in anything special. The perfect partner.

Nya was on the edge of the crowd, looking for someone to dance with.

"Hey," called a voice from over her shoulder. Nya turned around, to meet eyes with the Prince. "You want to dance?"

The girl looked at him with wide eyes. Jay turned away, slightly embarrassed, and worried she'd say no.

"I - I'd love to," she replied at last.

The Prince wrapped his arms around her waist, and Nya felt the tempo of the music carry them away. The steady, _one, two, three_ count of the music felt soothing. Soon any worries that either of them had, were washed away. Jay felt as though he was finally relieved of the pressure from his father. Nya felt free of Misako, and all the troubles she'd been burdened with for so long. Their troubles seemed worlds away. They were only focused on each others eyes. All was lost to the music.

When the orchestra finished, the dancing broke up. Jay felt as though he had, at last, found true love. It was the best feeling in the world. Never had the Prince felt true love, not like this. He loved his parents more than anything, but this felt different. Not like anything he'd ever felt before. He wanted to dance with that girl some more. Until the sun rose that morning, and the crowd was gone. Until it was just the two of them, dancing in the early light of dawn.

"Do you-" Jay was about to ask the girl, but she was gone. From then on, he was determined to find her. The first girl that he truly loved.

When the dance was over, as much as she didn't want to stop, Nya ran back to the tent. She would've happily continued to dance all night, but she was crunched for time, so dawdling wasn't aloud. Dancing with the Prince felt truly wonderful. Like nothing she had ever felt before.

Just then, a thought came to mind that made Nya stop, dead. Did she... Love him? That wasn't the reason she came. She just wanted to show her skills - her father's skills, really - to others. To prove she wasn't just a servant in her own household. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted to see her old friend again. Never did she do it just because she wanted to marry him. Like just about everyone else here.

Shaking her head, trying to return her focus, Nya continued on to the tent.

"Hey, how'd the dance go?" Zane asked, as soon as Nya had returned.

"Fine," Nya replied, rather hurriedly, not wanting to explain her newly found feelings for the Prince. "Lloyd. Can I have the falcon?"

"Sure," he smiled, handing her the metal bird that had been gingerly wrapped to prevent damage. "Don't forget these," Lloyd held out a small pouch, containing the most important piece.

"Thanks, you guys are the best," Nya smiled back, overjoyed inside.

"You better hurry back," Cole called, as she left. "We need to get moving as soon as we can. That is, if you don't want to walk home."

Nya nodded, and hurried off.

It had been nearly an hour since Jay had last seen the girl, and there was still no sign of her. Now, he was back in his throne, watching as idiotic inventions were presented to him.

"Next," his father sighed with a dry tone, after the girl was finished. The next girl who entered, had the Prince's immediate attention. It was her.

Nya stood in line for, what felt like hours before she was finally able to present to the Prince. She stepped out onto the stone balcony that overlooked everything down at the fair. The King and Queen sat in thrones on either side of their son. Both wore elegant robes and magnificent crowns perched atop their heads.

No that she had a better look at him, Nya saw the Prince wore electric blue robes with a much simpler crown. The moonlight gave almost an erie glow to them, making him look truly magnificent.

Nya did her best attempt to curtesy with the falcon in her arms, before noticing a table had been set up, most likely for placing other inventions on. She set the falcon down, just as she realized, she had the Prince's full attention.

It _was _her. The girl he danced with. Jay was certain of it.

"Good evening," King Ed greeted her, with a rather intimidating tone. "What do you have to present to Prince Jay on this wonderful night?"

"This is not my original invention," Nya admitted, knowing her father deserved at least some credit. "My father made the blueprints, but I have assembled it myself, and present it in his honor."

Jay watched as the girl unwrapped her invention. Wait... That wasn't just any other invention. It was a falcon. Just like - no - identical to his. That means... She must be...

Nya pulled out the little pouch with the glass gears in them. Carefully, she opened the chest plate, and slide the little gear.

The falcon immediately sprung to life, and flew around the balcony. Jay watched it in awe, when a question came across his mind.

"Don't leave, I'll be right back," he told her, before running off to his bed chamber. He attempted to take two at a time up the stairs, only to slip and fall on his face. Although he bruised his forehead, which was possibly bleeding, he kept his pace.

Not even bothering to open the trunk under his bed, he grabbed the key from under the wardrobe. He only stopped to dab a cloth on his forehead. The cut was not very deep, and wasn't noticeable, thanks to his hair, but his crown made it uncomfortable, so he merely took it off, and threw it on his bed.

Jay ran a little slower down the stairs, one fall already being enough for him. He burst through the double doors, out onto the balcony. His mother's eyes were wide with concern, but his father's showed nothing, but rage.

"Jay! Where is your crown? And why are you dragging out that blasted bird of yours?" The King growled, but the Prince payed no attention.

"You're Dr. Julien's daughter," Jay panted, his forehead starting to sting As he slammed the trunk down on the table. "I remember meeting you... We were five. Your father... He gave this to the King." He opened the trunk, and pulled out the blueprints to the falcon. "He must've kept a copy... That's what you have."

"Jay, I order you to stop bothering this girl with your nonsense," King Ed demanded. Jay turned around, and looked his father right in the eye.

"No."

"No? Jay I-" the King started, outraged by his son.

"No father. I'm not a child, I can, and I will make my own decisions." Jay glared at his father, not willing to put up with the way he was treating him any longer.

Not even bothering to watch how his father reacted to that, Jay turned all his focuses back to the girl. "How did you make yours fly? Mine just doesn't seem to work right at all." Jay pulled out his falcon, to let her take a look at it.

Nya looked at the Prince's falcon. It clearly wasn't in very good shape. It was very beat up, and looked as though it had been welded back together in several places. However, when she opened the chest plate, she knew just what it was missing. Nya pulled out the second glass gear from the pouch, and set it in place.

Just as her's did, the Prince's falcon began to flap it's wings, and fly around, joining the other falcon. The two birds flew around the balcony, everyone, even the King, gazed in awe and amazement. The two looked almost as if they were dancing, themselves. After flying over the courtyard, the two falcons returned to the shoulders of their creators.

While watching the two birds, something caught Nya's eye. The clock. The time read eleven forty.

"I remember when your father came to that party all those years ago. We played games in the courtyard all the time. You're -" Jay stopped when he realized she had left. "Nya..."

** Will Nya make it home in five minutes? Most likely not. But then again... You never know... Sorry, I'm being weird. I've been alone in a quiet room, typing for six hours... So I'm sure you can imagine how I feel. Please review! I can't believe I have almost one hundred reviews! =D**


	10. Ever Again

**Alright. Chapter 10 is finally finished. It took over a week to write, and honestly, I'm not that proud of it. I made it over one hundred reviews! This makes me super happy! This chapter isn't the cheeriest. I admit, it's rather sad. The next few chapters aren't looking that great either. Nya and Jay are in a bit of a rut right now. Ok, I'll stop boring you to death, and let you read it already...**

**Oh, something else I just want to clarify. If you were confused on the aging at all, in the first chapter, Nya is seven. When the four years pass, she is eleven, and remains that way for the rest of the chapter. By chapter two, she is seventeen. Lloyd and Cole are both older than her. Hope that cleared up any confusion.=)**

Nya ran, her adrenaline pumping, hard. She weaved through the crowd, the falcon followed her close behind. She looked back at the clock, only to find it was only seconds after she last checked, continued to run, and then looked back again, repeating the process several times.

By the time she finally reached the tent, it was eleven forty three. "Guys, we have to go," Nya panted, as soon as she was in earshot. "Now!"

Detecting the urgency in her tone, Cole and Zane scrambled to their hooves, as Lloyd tethered them to the carriage. Out of breath, Nya climbed into the carriage. Having completely forgotten about the falcon, she jumped when it landed on her shoulder, giving a shrill caw.

Once Zane and Cole were tethered, Lloyd cracked the whip, and the were off.

Just over the edge of the balcony, prince Jay spotted the other falcon flying after someone. Nya.

Jay ran after it. Ran past everyone. Not caring what his father might think, or how the other maidens who had yet to present would react. The only thing that mattered to the Prince was finding Nya.

Following the falcon was much harder then Jay anticipated. Guests kept trying to stop him to chat, causing him to lose focus on the bird, and its night black feathers made it difficult to be spotted from the crowd. The Prince did his best to follow Nya's falcon, but soon more and more people began to gather around him.

"Prince Jay!"

"Look it's the Prince!"

"Prince Jay! Did you like my invention?"

All the guests gathering closer around him, made the Prince feel claustrophobic. Finally, he had no choice, except to push his way through the mob. Once he had broken through the inner circle of guests, Jay broke into a run. His heart was pounding, and his forehead still stung, but he wouldn't stop. Not until he found her.

Suddenly, from above, Jay heard a loud _caw_. The Prince looked up to see his falcon flying, not far behind him, cawing over, and over. Louder, and louder. Almost as if it was trying to warn him of something. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the Prince spotted his father. He held a dirty sack in his hands, which Jay didn't quite understand. That is, until to late. The King threw the sack over the falcon, which came crashing down, flapping, and flailing its wings, as of it was a real bird.

Horrified, Jay stopped, and ran back to his father, boiling with rage. "What did you do that for," he cried, unable to control his anger towards his father. King Ed didn't answer, for all he did was grab his son by the wrist, and pulled him through the crowd. In the exact opposite direction of the other falcon.

Everyone stared at the Prince, all of them wanting to know what in Ninjago was going on. Jay only looked down at his feet, trying to avoid further humiliation.

King Ed dragged his son back up to the balcony, and into the Palace. Queen Edna did nothing to stop him, for she only gazed at them both, disappointment flooded her eyes. She couldn't believe her two boys had let their bickering get between them on such an important occasion.

The King led his son up the stairs, and shoved him through the doors into his bed chamber. Jay stumbled through the doors, loosing his balance, and falling on his face.

"Father, please!" Jay pleaded, sitting up on his knees. "I want to see her again. Nya." The Prince looked ready to cry. His hair was ruffled, and messy. His skin glazed in sweat. "I - I love her."

For a moment, the King of Ninjago met his son's gaze, but he quickly looked away. "I refuse to let you see that girl," he growled, narrowing his eyes. "Ever again."

With that, he slammed the doors, taking the falcon with him. Jay stared in silence at the heavy wooden doors. He listened as they made a small click. They were locked.

Jay got to his feet, and walked over to take a seat on his four poster bed. The Prince flopped down on the bed, and stared out the open doors that led onto his balcony. He could still here the faint music and chatter of everyone at the fair. He felt like crying, but he didn't. Instead, he watched the flickers of light from outside cast peculiar shadows throughout his bed chamber. The erie lights bouncing off the high ceiling, and plaster walls.

Jay felt to hopeless to cry. All his worries overwhelming his mind. The more he thought about them. His father with the falcon, and the blueprints. Being trapped in his bed chamber. Never being aloud to see Nya again. The more they stung. Like thorns through his heart.

Jay lied motionless in that one spot for hours. He listened as the guests slowly began to leave. He watched the sun begin to creep over the horizon, and climb into its favorite spot in the sky, were it could easily smile down on the surrounding land. It wasn't until the sun had risen, and cast a fair shadow through the doors to the balcony, did he finally fall asleep.

The carriage rumbled and rattled as Zane and Cole galloped down the old road through the woods. Lloyd repeatedly cracked the whip, forcing the former cooks to move faster.

Nya's gaze was fixed on the trees passing by. Although, her heart was still pounding, she had somewhat relaxed from her near panic attack. The falcon rested on her shoulder, letting out the occasional, reassuring _caw_.

Suddenly, Nya felt the oddest sensation. Removing her gaze from the surrounding forests, she looked down at her dress. Though it still held the form, she noticed the former patterns and seems from the drapes. Panicking again, Nya looked closely at the carriage, and saw similar results. The old rust patterns and colors covered the formerly beautiful carriage.

"Lloyd," Nya yelled, knowing there was little he could do, but wanted to at least warn him. "The spell. It must be past eleven forty five!"

"You think I didn't notice," Lloyd called back.

"I can't feel my hooves!" Zane cried, sounding rather distressed .

"Keep going!" Lloyd urged, trying to sound encouraging.

"I... Need to..." Cole panted, sounding ready to pass out. Suddenly, his hoof collided with a tree root that stuck out awkwardly into the road. "Going down!" He cried.

The large black horse lost his balance, and fell to the ground, bringing Zane and the carriage with him. Just when Nya expected to crash, and for something to break, they were engulfed in another ball of blinding red light.

By the time the erie light had died, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd lay in a heap, a large pile of pots near them.

"I'm normal again?" Cole thought aloud as he sat up and rubbed his head. He looked down at his hand. His facial expression lit up, like he could dance all around. "Ha! Yes! No more pony boy!"

As Cole did a little victory dance, Lloyd noticed Nya was no wear in sight. "Nya!" He called out, concern creeping into his tone.

"Here," she replied, her voice sounding from the massive pile of pots. Lloyd, Zane, and Cole watched as she crawled out from the pile, a scared looking falcon in her appeared to have buried itself in her arms. The drapes must've returned to normal, because Nya was back in her old, cruddy dress she always wore.

"Are you alright?" Asked Zane, eyes wide with concern. He ran over to her, hoping to be of some aid.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nya sighed. She released the falcon, who flew around, and roosted back on her shoulder. Though she wouldn't admit it, Nya wanted more then anything to go back, she knew there was no chance. "C'mon. We've got a long walk ahead of us." Nya began to walk down the road, her friends soon got up, and followed. "This was a stupid idea," she sighed. "Let's not do that. Ever again."

**Sad chapter. It's gonna be that way for a little while. But, hey! That'll make the ending a whole lot better!**


	11. A New Plan

**Ok, I actually finished a chapter, before a whole week had gone by! Yay! Most of this chapter is blah. I went way overboard with the blah... I actually had to split this chapter into two, because it would've been so long! There is really no dialogue in this chapter. I'm not really sure why. My brain just decided "no dialogue, lots of blah". Thanks brain...**

Jay picked up his carefully designed and folded paper airplane. He had drawn out the plans, trying to find the perfect combination of folds that would allow it to be aerodynamic and perform magnificent flips, and turns.

Jay tossed the paper plane through the air, making sure to hit the perfect angle. The little piece of paper flew strait, like a bullet. It was only inches from crashing into the wall, when it swerved upwards, performing a perfect, and turning off to the opposite direction. Jay smiled as the paper plane soared through the air. The plane was close to the wall, about to pull away again, when it's left wing dipped just a little to low. This caused it to spiral off to the left, crashing into the wall, and crumpled to the ground.

Jay cried out in frustration. He'd been stuck in his bed chamber over a week, with nothing to do. He'd been so bored, he was drawing up plans for childish paper airplanes. The Prince plucked the torn plane off the floor, and crumpled it in his fists. He tossed it into the waste basket, which was already full of other failed attempts of the perfect model.

Jay turned back to his blueprints, trying to find a way to improve the design. Maybe if he narrowed the tip a little more, and widened the wings. After he adjusted a few measurements and creases, he pulled out another piece of paper, and began folding.

As he folded, the Prince wondered if Nya could design paper planes like this. Or maybe Dr. Julien. The whole time he'd been locked away, Nya was constantly on his mind. He thought about her when he made his useless paper planes. He thought about her when he stood out on the balcony. He thought about her when he lay in bed. He thought about her even in his dreams. Whenever he was thinking, it was always about Nya. He dreamed that he could make a plane that would fly across Ninjago, to the manor. The one that was home to Nya, and her father.

Jay was about halfway done with folding his next plane, when he stopped. He was tired of this. It was completely pointless, for all he had accomplished was covering his hands with paper cuts, and wasting way to much paper.

The Prince opened the double doors onto the balcony. Jay gave an exasperated sigh, as he stared out over the treetops. Running his hands through his chestnut brown hair, he felt over the rough patch of skin where he cut his head on the stairs. Prince Jay was sure it wasn't going to leave a pretty scar, so he was relieved it wasn't noticeable under his hair.

Something peculiar quickly caught Jay's attention. The way the railing around the balcony was designed. Maybe if he had a strong enough rope, and the right knot. Maybe, just maybe, he could climb down. He could escape to the stables, saddle up a horse, and go out searching for Nya.

However, one fault did appear in his plan. How would he know where Nya was. Plus, anyone could try to be Nya, just to be with the Prince. He needed something that would ensure him that it really was Nya. The glass gear from the falcon. He would know it was her, because not only does Nya have an identical gear, but she also had an identical falcon. That's how he'd know. That's how he'd know if it really was her.

Jay began to rummage through everything he could. He searched for any piece and every piece of rope he could find. Most of the pieces were too short, or not strong enough. So the Prince decided to knot all the pieces together, in hopes of forming one long, strong rope.

It took a long time to make, but when the Prince was finally satisfied with its length, he went back out on to the balcony to re assess the situation. He noticed the sun was rising off to the east. It was late afternoon when he stopped making paper planes. Had he really been working on his rope all night?

Not really caring, Jay returned to the present, and in the little light of dawn, he could just see the hedges below. He was hoping it would be something softer, but at least they weren't rosebushes.

As the Prince tried to figure out what kind of knot he should use, he could feel sleep begin to creep into his eyes. A heavy sleep, giving promises of warmth and comfort. Jay tried to fight it, but sleep was difficult to reason with.

In the end, the Prince decided to sleep a little. He wouldn't find much in a sleeping castle, and he needed all his wits about him, if he were to truly focus. Jay crawled into bed, feeling the heavy lull of sleep calling him. Within moments he was fast asleep.

When Jay reawakened, sunlight shone brightly through the windows, and on the balcony. It took a moment for the Prince to recall what he'd planned last night, but he quickly remembered soon as he spotted the rope he made.

Wide awake, Jay through aside the covers, and rushed out to the balcony. As he stepped into the bright sun, he felt its intense heat beating down on him. Though it was uncomfortable, Jay continued to work, despite the heat.

The Prince tied the massive rope in a noose around the decorative railing. He tugged at it to ensure it was nice and tight, and would support his weight. Once it was secure, Jay tossed one end over the edge of the balcony, and let it dangle bellow. To his dismay, the rope was not quite long enough, and remained suspended several feet above the shrubbery. Jay realized there was no way to fix it, so very slowly, he crept over the edge of the balcony, and down the rope.

It took much patience, for it was difficult to slide down. If he went to fast, he'd risk rope burns from the friction, or even falling off. If he went to slow, one of the servants might spot him, or worse. His father.

Once he'd reached the end of the rope, another dilemma came to his attention. A detail he failed to notice up on the balcony. Worse than rosebushes. Thistles. The sharp stinging needles hidden in those innocent looking purple flowers.

The patch was to large to avoid. But landing on them would lead to stings and cuts he didn't want to think about. Seeing no other option, Jay started rocking the rope, letting it swing back and forth.

The rope swung. Slowly it went farther and farther. Once it was swinging far enough, that the thistle patch was avoidable, Jay prepared to jump. Right when he was about to push off from the rope, his sweaty hands, burning up from the sun's intense heat, slipped.

Jay fell right into the sharp thistles. He felt their stinging needles in his legs, and back, but he forced himself to shake it off. He was careful where he put his feet as he worked his way out of the thorny plants.

Once free of the thistles, the Prince slipped into the nearest open window, worried that trying to find a door would take to long. The room must've been one of many guest rooms, for it had a queen sized bed off the far wall, and a simple wardrobe. Jay gave a sigh of relief, for unless there was some huge party that had many events, these halls should be empty.

The Prince began to creep through the halls, careful where he placed his feet, not wanting to hurt his leg where the thistle's needles had buried themselves.

Silence filled the guest rooms and hallways. Rarely would anyone ever come down here. Jay could only recall two or three times actually being down here, himself. As eerily quiet it was, the Prince thought it would be the best way to travel throughout the Palace, without being caught.

There were so many old corridors in the Palace. Many of which had been forgotten, and unused for years. So many, that Jay could wander them for days, without being found. With these old corridors, the Prince might just be able to find his father.

He wandered the old halls for hours. Going up, and down stairs. Following confusing twists and turns. Finally, after seemingly endless wandering, Jay came across an old door. The only place he could think it would lead to was the den. A room filled with comfy arm chairs, cozy couches, and love seats, and a giant hearth that always housed a blazing fire.

Jay could just see the room through the long cracks in the door. Of course, just like always, that's where his parents were. It was one of their favorite rooms in the palace. It had a massive balcony, that looked right out over the Palace gardens. Jay loved to play in that room when he was younger. He could recall jumping on the couches, and snuggling by the fire. He even remembered playing with Nya in there.

"Would she remember?" The Prince whispered to himself. "I bet she'd love to see it again."

Suddenly, something caught Jay's attention. Next to his father, was some... Thing. The Prince tried peaking through a few other cracks for a better view, but was still unsuccessful. Trying his best to make it out, Jay only came to one possible conclusion. It was the falcon.

Of course. The King had been carrying his son's contraption with him everywhere. Not letting it out of his sight for a moment.

Jay sighed. He knew there was no way he could get it from him now. There was no way to find Nya without it, so he had to think of something. Until then, Jay decided to return to his bed chamber, and think of a plan there.

The walk back took much less time. Though he hadn't memorized them, the Prince had a vague memory of where he needed to go. Once back outside, Jay wandered slowly over to the thistle patch below his balcony.

To his dismay, the rope dangled right over the thorny plants. Jay gave an exasperated sigh, and began to weave through the plants, being extra careful about where he stepped. Once at the rope, it took a jump, or two to reach, but thankfully, he didn't fall back on the purple needles.

The climb up was much more of a struggle. The rope swung more, and more with each move. The rough, uneven surface rubbed against his legs, leaving large rashes, and rope burns. He did his best to keep the parts where the thistles were off the rope, however, that proved to be very difficult.

When Jay finally made it back on his balcony, he ached all over. The sun was still high in the sky, but the Prince felt as though he could pass out. He made sure to pull the rope up onto the balcony, so no one saw it, or thought he might have gotten out.

Jay laid down on top of his blankets, exhausted. Suddenly, the perfect idea crossed his mind. If his father was asleep, then he couldn't check to make sure no one had taken the falcon. Once he had the falcon, he'd steal a horse from the stables, and begin his search for Nya.

** Kind of an odd note to close on, but this chapter originally would've been much longer. Please read, review, blah, blah, blah, all the usual stuff. I'm going to try to have the next chapter finished by Friday. Until then, Au revoir!**


	12. The Escape

**Ok. So here's what was originally going to be the rest of the last chapter. If it was, however, that chapter would be over 3500 words long. I think I like it better when it's split up, instead of what I had initially planned. It gave me more time to add some things that would've been left out before. Sorry, I'm being boring. I hope you guys like this chapter, cause honestly, I'm not very good at suspense.**

Queen Edna stared longingly at the black and white photographs of her two boys. She remembered the days when Ed, and Jay spent hours playing together. As a wife and a mother, she loved the sight. But then, one day, things started to change.

The Queen of Ninjago remembered exactly what happened. After Ed's huge birthday ball, many years ago, their was one gift that was different. It was from the wonderful inventor, Dr. Julien. The tinkerer gave him blueprints to a magnificent, robotic, creature. A falcon.

The gift was truly amazing, but that wasn't what the King saw. Before he was king, Ed loved inventing. That's how he first met Dr. Julien. But when he was crowned, he stopped tinkering. When he received the blueprints, he felt deeply offended by them, as if the inventor was trying to mock him. After the party, he forbid the tinkerer from ever returning. As for the blueprints, he gave them to Jay, to hang on his wall.

When the young Prince started to invent things, and drawing up blueprints, Ed became outraged. The last thing he wanted was for his son, the only heir to the throne of Ninjago, to become an inventor. He did everything he could to try to break his son of this newly found hobby. But it seemed the more he tried, the more determined the Prince was to defy his father.

Queen Edna wished her husband never tried to get between his son, and tinkering. At first, it was just a harmless hobby. If the King never tried to shut it down, then maybe the two of them could still get along like they used to. But the King had his heart set. He even let it get between probably the only girl the Prince would ever love. Just because of her father.

Queen Edna was returning the photographs to their place on the shelf, when Ed entered their bed chamber.

"Edna, what are you doing?" The King of Ninjago asked his wife.

"Oh just reliving old memories," she smiled, handing him one of the photographs.

Ed took the photographs from his wife, looking at them closely. The technology had been invented by his old friend, Dr. Julien, and was a gift from long ago. The photographs were from the huge party the King hosted, over ten years ago. They were difficult to make out, but what was clear, was two children, running around, playing tag.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, frustration growing in his tone.

"You really don't recognize them?" The Queen's smile faded, and she snatched the photograph away from him. "It's your son. Jay. Don't you remember? The little girl was Nya. They were the best of friends, and we both agreed she was the perfect friend for Jay." Edna paused for a moment, looking as though she might cry. "You even considered asking Dr. Julien if they could be married when they turned of age. Then, when you got those blueprints, and gave them to Jay, you blamed him for your son's desire to invent. And now, because of your own decisions, you refuse to let Jay marry that girl. The first girl he really loved."

King Ed's eyes widened, realizing what his wife meant. He couldn't believe that he'd let his relationship with Dr. Julien get in the way of his son's first love.

"I will personally go to Dr. Julien's manor, myself to ask the girl," he hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "Nya, if she will return to the Palace."

"What about the falcon?" Edna asked him.

"I will see that it is destroyed," the King decided. "It has blinded me from what is really important, and I believe it is what must be done."

"Very well," the Queen sighed, "we should go to bed."

And with that, the King and Queen settled down for the night.

Jay opened his eyes, to see it was completely black outside. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep, but he was relieved he did. Although they still stung, the few spots where the thistles' needles had buried in his skin looked much better than they did, before.

As soon as he was fully focused, the Prince headed out onto the balcony, and tossed one end of the rope down below. He climbed ever so carefully down. With all his stings and burns, he had to plan each move with caution.

Once he'd reach the end of the rope, something caught his eye. Their weren't many thistles directly below the rope, so if he could land in just the right spot, he might be able to get away with less scratches.

Luckily, the Prince landed just right, and was able to dodge most of the prickly plants. He reopened the window he'd used before, however, this time he couldn't care less about who heard him.

Jay ran through most of the corridors, knowing almost everyone who worked in the palace should be asleep by now. Only a few narrow corridors he crept through carefully, in fear he might disturb the sleeping servants. He used the main corridors, since they were so quiet, but also because he had know idea how to get to his parents bed chamber from the older, less used ones.

Once he'd finally made an unnecessarily huge circle through the palace, the Prince finally made his way back up to the main corridor that his, and his parents' bed chambers were off of. With the greatest of caution, Jay slid open one of the two giant oak wood doors. Luckily, unlike hard wood, stone floors didn't creak with each step, making crossing over to the bed much less stressful.

The falcon was wrapped in a cloth, but it was still clear what it was. Slowly, Jay extended his hand, and reached for the falcon, when his father began to stir, and roll towards were the metal bird lay. The Prince stopped dead, and quickly retracted his arm back to his side. Once he was sure his father had settled, he reached for it again. The King was so close, Jay could feel his hot, sticky breath burning his hand.

Just as Jay's fingertips wrapped around the falcon, something reached out, grasping his wrist, tight enough to cut off the circulation. The King'd eyes snapped open, a wicked smile spread across his face.

"It's about time," King Ed smirked, as though he'd been expecting this. Panicking, Jay grabbed one of the pillows off the bed, whacking his father across the face.

Angered now, King Ed through the bed covers aside, grabbed another pillow, whacking his son right back. The two continued to battle, using pillows as if they were swords. With all the commotion, Queen Edna bolted upright in bed, and almost screamed at the sight in front of her.

"What are you doing?!" She cried, looking completely freaked.

Neither Jay, nor Ed responded, for they were locked in their pillow duel. Jay was very careful with his foot work, and slowly made his way back towards the falcon. He was backed against the bedside table were the falcon lay, cornered by his father.

The Prince took one look at his father, before tossing his pillow at the King, causing him to stumble backwards. The diversion gave Jay just enough time to grab the falcon, run across the bed, throwing a random cloak over his back, before running out onto the balcony.

As the King slowly regained his balance, he threw aside his pillow in rage, and ran after his son.

"You!" He cried in anger. "Jay, I've had it with this behavior!"

"You don't listen to me, Father," Jay growled, "you never do. All you want is for me to find a maiden to marry. And when I finally do, you won't let me because you don't like her father."

The King was completely outraged by this, and forgot all about his earlier conversation with his wife on the exact same topic. He charged after his son, boiling with anger. Jay's eyes widened, suddenly realizing he was trapped. The only possible way he could think to escape was to jump to the next balcony, about ten feet lower than this one, and at least a fifteen foot gap between the two.

Jay took one more look at his father. Then, he jumped.

He only barely cleared the gap, and stumbled on the landing, but somehow managed to make it without any injuries. Not even bothering to look back to see the rage on his father's face, the Prince took a running start, before leaping to the next balcony.

Jay leaped several balconies, before he finally reached ground level, and went full sprint for the stables. Once he reached the stalls of horses, the Prince grabbed a lead rope, and halter, and dragged out the first horse he could. He made sure to grab a satchel to, do he'd have an easier time carrying the falcon.

Knowing his father was hot on his trail, Jay knew there wouldn't be enough time to grab a saddle, or proper reins, so he chose to go bareback. The Prince climbed onto the horses back, kicking him on the side to get him going. The horse whinnied, and bolted out the barn doors on the stables.

Once out in the open, a loud cracking sounded. King Ed stood there, a long whip in his hand. The horse began to panic at the sound, running in the opposite direction that Jay wanted it to. As the King continued to crack the whip, Jay pulled the horse away from the whip, kicking it again, to keep it a good distance from the lashing leather band. Pulling a giant semi circle, the Prince finally got the horse in the right direction.

Jay kept the animal galloping at its fastest speed. Until they'd reached the front gate to the Palace grounds. He didn't halt once, as he continued off into the night.

**Liked it? Hated it? Thought it was ok? Please review, as always. I love reviews! Well, I've got nothing left to say... So, until the next chapter!**


	13. Trapped

**Well, I'm not superstitious, but 13 is defiantly an unlucky number. Well, chapter wise, that is. Sorry this took so long to write. For some reason, I just found this chapter really difficult to write. I've been working on it all week, and I didn't even make it to 1500 words. Shame. Well, I hope you guys enjoy it. I don't like it that much, but I am a real perfectionist. Just learned what that is today, and I realize that it is so me. Anyway, please enjoy. Or don't. but if you don't, then I don't see why you are still reading this. And I'm ranting again.**

Nya was in the kitchen, helping Cole wash the last of the dishes. Three weeks had past since the fair. Life at the manor had pretty much returned to normal. Surprisingly, they managed to make it home without being noticed. Of course, Misako was curious to why all the drapes had been pulled down, and confused when she couldn't find some pots, but she never suspected anything.

As for Cole, Zane, Nya, and Lloyd. They chose to forget all about that night. Act like it never happened. It was difficult for Nya at first, for she still had feelings for the Prince. But after two weeks, she excepted that she would most likely never see him again.

"Pass the soap," Cole asked, breaking Nya of her thoughts.

"Sure," Nya replied, sounding rather distant. The Prince loved her just as much as she loved him. So why hadn't he come for her, or something like that? Maybe she was expecting to much of him. This was reality after all. Not some little kids' fairytale.

"Nya, the soap," Cole repeated, with more urgency.

"Right, sorry," Nya handed the cook the soap, before she lost herself in thought again.

The two continued to wash the breakfast plates in silence, until Lloyd burst through the kitchen doors.

"Guys, I need your help," he cried in distress.

Cole practically jumped out of his skin, dropping a plate on the floor. "Great. Now I have to clean this up," he grumbled, grabbing a broom from the pantry.

"What's wrong," Nya asked, ignoring the frustrated cook, her tone full of concern.

"There's someone outside," Lloyd panted, "Zane's already there with Misako. He doesn't look to good."

Nya rushed outside, closely followed by Lloyd, hoping to be of use. The two burst out the front door to see Misako nealt over a man who was lying unconscious on the ground. Zane was holding back a riled up horse, who must've belonged to the man.

Nya came closer to the man to find him wearing a torn cloak, his clothes underneath not looking to be in much better condition. He looked as though he hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks. A heavy fever was radiating off him.

"Nya, take the horse to the stables," Misako instructed, "Zane, Lloyd, help me bring this man inside."

The others nodded, rushing to Misako's aid. Nya took the horses lead rope from Zane, and led him in the direction of the stables. The animal looked very thin, and frail, and Nya worry wether or not it would survive the night.

There weren't any open stalls, so Nya had to move Flame, and Rocky in with Wisp, and Shard. She made sure he had some hay, and fresh water, before returning to the house.

Nya entered the kitchen to find the man lying on the table. She gave a sigh, since she had just cleaned that table, and now had to wash it again. Misako seemed more concerned about the situation then Nya ever thought she would be. About anything. Right now this seemingly heartless woman was as concerned as if she was the man's mother.

"Is he ok?" Nya asked, before realizing it was a stupid question. He had a heavy fever, looked nearly starved, and severely dehydrated. Of course he wasn't ok.

"Well clearly not!" Misako cried, looking rather frustrated. "What are we going to do? The nearest doctor is miles away, and I don't think he'll make it in time until we can contact him!"

"I'll care for him!" Nya burst out, before realizing exactly what she just signed herself up for. "I can make room in my father's workshop for a temporary bed."

"Well... Ok," Misako finally decided, "but he is entirely your responsibility until we can get a doctor. And this doesn't excuse you from any of your chores."

Nya nodded, and ran off to gather the materials she'd need for a makeshift bed. She grabbed multiple sets of clean sheets, just in case she'd need them. When she returned to the workshop, Zane, and Cole had cleared away some space, and brought down a simple metal bed frame, and mattress. Nya made the bed, keeping the spare sheets at easy reach.

Once the man was settled in the bed, she gathered some herbal teas, and anything else she could find that might be of aid. Lloyd occasionally brought some wet rags to help reduce the fever, but other then that, Nya did everything. She sat by his side for days caring for him in every way she could. She didn't even leave when Zane told her his horse had died.

It was days before he came around.

"Ugh," he moaned, rubbing his hand through his messy, chestnut colored hair. "Where am I?"

"Shh," she whispered, pressing her finger to her lip. "Just rest." He laid back down, and soon fell asleep

When he next woke, Misako, and the others were there.

"Oh, your awake," Misako cried out in joy, as if she had been doing Nya's job the entire time.

""Where's my horse?" He asked, his voice rather rough as he blinked sleep from his eyes.

"I'm afraid your horse didn't make it," Nya replied, a sorrowful look fell across her face.

"It's a shame," he said, shaking his head. "He was a good horse. One of my father's best."

"Would you like some tea," Misako asked sweetly. Nya had a hard time believing that her cruel stepmother was actually going to get this stranger tea. She never got anything for herself, let alone others. That's one of the reasons she was so pleased with herself for making Nya one of her servants. One more person to do all the work for her.

"Sure," he smiled as he pulled himself to a sitting position.

"Zane, put on a kettle," Misako ordered, just as Nya anticipated she would. Zane nodded, and ran off to the kitchen in search of a teapot. "Anyway, what is your business in these parts? We don't get many visitors out here. Mostly just locals, or people passing through on their way to other parts of Ninjago."

The man rubbed his head in thought, trying to recall exactly what he was looking for. Suddenly, he realized something was missing. "Have you seen my - er... Package," he asked, sounding rather panicked.

"It was with you horse," Nya reassured him. "It's still in the stables. I can go get it."

"Thank you," he sighed with relief, relaxing a little. "I need it for someone."

After Nya left, Misako started to get rather curious. Who was this man? "Who are you? This must be a very important person if you came all the way out here to give them something," she questioned, narrowing her eyes wearily.

The man sighed, before replying. "I'm Prince Jay," everyone's eyes widened, Grace and Lana exchanged excited glances. "I'm looking for a girl. I doubt you know her."

"Who is this girl," Misako asked, trying to get as much information from the Prince as possible. Cole, and Lloyd had nervous glances, fearing they knew just who the girl was, and how Misako would react when she found out.

"Nya," he had a somewhat hopeful look on his face, praying she might know have at least heard of the girl.

Misako's eyes widened in shock at this, anger beginning to build up inside. "I'll be right back," she gave a nervous smile, before running off.

Nya was searching through the stall the man's horse had been. Flame, and Rocky were still in another stall, for their's had yet to be cleaned.

Nya quickly found the package sitting off to the side of the stall. Thankfully, it hadn't been trampled by the horse's heavy hooves. As she left the stall, package tucked in her arms, curiosity crept into her mind, making her wonder what it might be.

Nya glanced around, instinctively checking to make sure no one was watching, and slowly peeled away a corner of the packaging. She was quite surprised to see what lay underneath, and almost dropped it. It was... A falcon? This wasn't just any falcon. Nya examined the metal bird closely to find welding marks. It was the Prince's falcon. That means... That man... He was the Prince!

Nya was about to run back to the house, when an evil voice stopped her. "I don't know how you did it, but I am not pleased," it growled. Misako. Nya whipped around to see her stepmother standing in front of the stable's door. Startled, she dropped the falcon, and backed up against the wall.

A wicked smile spread across Misako's face as she picked the falcon up off the ground, and retreated to the door. "You will never see him again."

The stable doors slammed close, a metallic click sounded, signaling that they had been locked. Nya was trapped.

**What did you think? Liked it? Hated it? Didn't really care for it? Please R&R, like always. A few questions. If the ninja were girls, what would their names be? Same letters, like instead of Zane, Zoe. Oh, and did anyone catch Chima? I've talked to a few people about it, but I wanted to hear some other people's opinions. No spoilers, please. I just want a general opinion on the show.**

**Ok, I know this may be a bit much to ask for, especially considering this story only has about two more chapters left, but I'd really like to hit 200 reviews. I've already reached the 150 mark, so let's see if we can make it.**


	14. True Love

**Wooh! Last chapter! Now it's just the epilogue, and the grand, "the end". I hope you guys like this. And for once, I can't seem to find anything in particular to rant about. That's sad. Well? What are you waiting for? Stop reading this lame author's note, and start reading what I actually put my time into writing.**

Jay sat up, confused on why the kind woman ran off so abruptly. The two he assumed were the cook, and the butler exchanged concerned glances, whispering to one another. The rather spoiled looking girls kept smiling in excitement, giggling with each other.

The other cook came back in with a warm mug of tea for the Prince who excepted it with grace, and a kind, "thank you". The cook looked a little unsure of how to react. Almost as if no one had ever thanked him for his services. _Who didn't thank their cooks_, Jay wondered.

After a few more minutes of awkward silence, the woman came rushing back in. "So sorry to keep you waiting, your majesty," she apologized, bowing in respect. "That childish servant girl I sent to the stables is to easily distracted. Here is your package."

The Prince took his package, removing the paper to reveal his falcon. A feeling of reassurance filled him now that he knew his life's pride, and joy was safe. Jay opened up the chest plate to reveal the small glass gear. A gift from his true love that he would use to find her.

"Do any of you know Nya," the Prince asked, a desperate hope glowing in his eyes. The two girls looked at each other, and whispered some more. What was with all this whispering? Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of whispering, the blonde girl stepped forward.

"I'm Nya," she said with pride. "I cut my hair short, and dyed it black for the fair. I wanted to hide my true appearance, for I was afraid I looked ugly."

Jay took a good look at Nya. She did have a similar face to the Nya he saw that night. Could it really be her? A small little voice inside him disagreed, but he didn't listen to it. He was to tired from searching, and would believe it if someone told him Nya was really a mule.

"If you are Nya, then do you have the falcon," Jay questioned, narrowing his eyes slightly, with suspicion.

"Why, of course," she smiled innocently. "Lloyd would you bring me my falcon?"

The butler, Jay came to the conclusion that he was Lloyd, gave her an odd look, and whispered to her. The Prince couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was quite an argument.

"Lana? No! I refuse," Lloyd whispered angrily to Misako's spoiled daughter.

"I demand you to bring me Nya's falcon," Lana growled with a threatening tone. The two kept at it, both of them holding their ground firmly, refusing to back down.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zane could see the Prince watching them, rather confused. He new for a fact that the only reason Misako would run off like that was to keep the real Nya out of sight. That most likely meant she was locked in the stables.

Suddenly, something occurred to Zane. He remembered talking with Nya this morning. She had mentioned something about some of the falcon's parts In meed of a good cleaning. If his suspicions were true, then Zane knew exactly what he must do.

"I'll get the falcon," Zane's voice rang above the bickering of the butler and Lana.

"Zane? No," Cole whispered to his fellow cook, a slightly threatening tone.

"No, I don't mind at all," Zane replied, simply. Cole gave him a confused look, but chose not to question his fellow cook. Without further discussion, Zane left to bring "Nya" her falcon.

Jay felt rather lost in the situation. All this whispering confused him, and he couldn't follow what was happening. After the cook who'd brought him tea had left, the nice woman turned to him, giving him

a reassuring smile.

"Sorry about all the confusion," she apologized, "our staff aren't always the most helpful." At that she turned and glared at Lloyd, who took a step back in fear.

A few minutes later, the cook returned with the other falcon. It looked just as it had when Jay last saw it at the fair. It was defiantly Nya's.

"I present to you my falcon," the girl

who claimed to be Nya smiled. "Thus proving to you I am Nya."

"She's lying," the cook interrupted.

"What?" cried everyone in the room, all of them looking very confused.

"Zane, what are you doing," the cook with the black hair asked through gritted teeth.

"How dare you question my identity," the girl, Jay was now becoming more, and more certain wasn't Nya, cried in outrage.

"The real Nya has the glass gear with her," continued the cook, Jay now assumed was Zane.

"Don't be silly," said Not-Nya's sister. "The gear would be in the falcon."

Zane opened up the chest plate of the bird to reveal the glass gear was indeed, not there. "The girl Misako locked in the stables is the real Nya."

Jay was now outraged by this trickery. How could he be so blind? As he thought back to her face, Jay was certain that she was Nya. The Prince through aside his bed covers, and ran out to the stables not caring what the others had to say on the matter.

Nya sat slumped against the door to one of the horse stalls, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. She searched for every possible way out. All the windows were to high up, and the stable locks were to strong.

Suddenly, Nya felt something in her pocket. She pulled it out to find it was the little glass gear from her falcon. Nya remembered her original plan this morning was to clean it. Somehow, it must've slipped her mind.

As Nya slipped the little gear back into her pocket, the locks on the stable doors began to rattle. "Nya!" a voice shouted from the other side.

This immediately caught Nya's attention, causing her to rush to the door. "Jay?" she asked, her tears gushing now.

"Back away from the door," he instructed, Nya was sure it was him now." I think I can bust these locks."

Nya stood back, and watched as the doors came flying open, causing all the dust to fly around through the air. As the air cleared, Nya saw the Prince on the ground, obviously he must've thrown himself at the doors to break the locks. It didn't seem like a very logical method, but clearly it worked well.

"Jay!" Nya cried out in joy. Never had she been so happy to see anyone in her life. Jay ran over to her, rapping his arms around her in a tight hug. Nya met his hug right back, her eyes now streaming with tears of joy.

"You have the gear," the Prince asked, even though he had no doubt about it. Nya pulled the little gear out of her pocket, handing to him. Jay's face lit up with happiness.

The Prince pulled her into another hug, as the horses began to sense the joy in the air, and whinnied with excitement. Something about that reminded Nya that the Prince had to leave for the Palace, for there was no way he could stay here.

"But now you have to go back," she murmured. "Your father must be worried sick." Jay's face began to fade, as the same realization came over him.

"I know I should," he sighed, knowing his father was absolutely furious with him as things were before. Now that he'd been gone for two weeks, he'd be lucky to live to see the end of it.

"I can lend you a horse," Nya offered, walking over to one of the stables, bringing out a beautiful white stallion. "Take Wisp. He's a good boy."

As if he understood, the other horse began to whinny, almost as if in protest. "I think his pal would disapprove though," Jay smiled.

Nya tied Wisp up, and brought out an older saddle. Jay watched as she brushed the animal, wishing, now more than ever, that he could be with her forever. He looked back at the glass gear in his hand, and then again at Nya. He knew what must be done.

"Nya," the Prince started, getting down one knee. Nya turned around, looking a little confused at first, but she quickly caught on. "You are the love of my life. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I was wondering... Will you marry me?"

Nya stared at him for a moment, in shock before replying, "Yes!"

** Was it good? Please R&R! I have over 190 reviews, and the fact it's not quite 200 is taunting me. I have to say, I love all you readers. This was my first story, and never did I imagine it to be so popular, nor to get so many ****awesome**** reviews. Ok, question time. What was your favorite chapter, what did you like about it, and why? I will try to post the epilogue ASAP. Until then! ;)**


	15. Happily Ever After

**Epilogue time! It's also the end! No! This story has been my child for the past two months. And now it's all grown up with an epilogue, and everything! I hope you enjoy the end of Tinkerella. I love all you people who have reviewed every chapter. I'd list names, but I couldn't possibly remember you all. You know if you're one of those people, and if you are, you are worthy of a cookie! Enjoy the epilogue. Oh, and do note I'm a bit rusty on how a wedding works, and I'm terrible at love. **

Six months later...

Ever since Prince Jay's proposal to Nya, life for all of them became full of all the joy, and happiness it had been missing for years. A great time of peace, love, and happiness had come to the land of Ninjago.

According to Dr. Julien's will, the manor was to go to Nya as soon as she turned eighteen. Since Nya was to live at the Palace, she gave the manor over to Zane, who is now a master chef. He still lives there, along with Cole, and Lloyd. Although they are far apart, Nya does her best to visit as often as she can.

Misako, and her daughters were cast into the street, and lived homeless for many years, but they all eventually find their own prince. For in a land of happiness, everyone needs a 'happily ever after'. Nya even still visits them from time to time.

Wisp does indeed live at the palace now, as the Prince's horse. The two have become very close, and traveled together on many adventures. The duo soon became well known throughout the land.

Poor Shard missed his friend dearly, but when Zane became his new owner, he was more than happy. Zane hadn't originally been much of a rider, but quickly fell in love with the beautiful white mustang.

It was a while before Cole couldn't even look at horses, for he found being one himself rather traumatizing. When he finally tried riding, he fell in love with Rocky.

The Prince became good friends with the two former cooks, and went riding with them often. Whenever he can find the time, Jay would be riding the trails with Cole, and Zane. But he made sure to leave room for inventing.

Unfortunately, poor Flame passed on, but rest assured, he has moved on, and is living happily with a new owner.

As for the wedding. When King Ed saw how happy his son was, he had no choice, but to give them his blessing, and see that they had the perfect wedding. Everyone in all of Ninjago had been invited.

Even Grace, Lana, and Misako, however they politely declined. With the exception of those three, everyone in Ninjago did come. Everyone from wiseman Wu, to a special somebody who made a promise to visit...

Nya was in her dressing room. The wedding would start shortly, and she was anxiously counting down the minutes. Lloyd, Cole, and Zane were there to, to comfort their old friend.

"You must be nervous," Zane remarked, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

Nya tried to respond, but all her mixed emotions welling up inside her kept her mouth shut tight. She was incredibly happy, but at the same time, she felt like crying.

"I feel like," Nya started, finally finding her voice. "Something's missing."

"Is it Misako," Cole asked. After being freed from his position as head chef - which was a lot more like slavery - the woman didn't seem quite that bad. He actually felt rather sympathetic for her after he'd heard she was living on the streets.

"As much as I wish she could be here, that's not it," Nya sighed, running her fingers over her white lace dress. "I'm not sure how to describe it. I just feel like there is someone else that should be coming."

"What about him," Lloyd pointed out the window to a figure in the distance. As curiosity slowly brought their attention to the spot of which the former butler had been pointing, Cole, Zane, and Nya gathered near the window around Lloyd.

In the distance, a man was visible riding a horse across the horizon. He had what looked to be a thick red cloak, and spiky brown hair. His horse was probably chestnut colored, but the angle of the slowly setting sun gave the stallion a luminescent red glow. Almost as if it was on fire. Red cloak. Flaming horse. Suddenly, Nya knew just who it was.

Nya ran out onto the balcony, calling out to the figure.

"Kai! Flame!" She shouted, hoping her godbrother might hear her.

"Nya? What are you doing," Cole cried, not looking in to much of a hurry to see the man who turned him into a horse. Nya, however ignored her friend, and continued to call out to him.

As soon as her voice reached his ears, Kai turned Flame towards the Palace, charging full speed. Nya watched as her godbrother, and his horse dissipated, and quickly reappearing on the balcony.

"Kai," Nya smiled as she rushed out to greet him. She couldn't help but hug him. If it wasn't for him after all, she wouldn't be getting married to Prince Jay.

Flame let out a loud whinny, as if he to was happy to see Nya again as well. He looked in great condition. No longer was he a scrawny, carriage pulling pony. He was a great, majestic looking mustang.

"So how have the rest of you been," Kai asked, soon as Nya released her hug. Cole didn't respond, for he only turned away with a pout. "Well, looks like someone hasn't changed from his old, grouchy self."

"What?!" Cole started, angered by the fairy's remark. "How dare-" but he didn't have time to finish before Kai threw a fire ball at him. Once again, Cole stood as a large black horse, towering over even Flame.

"There you go pony boy," Kai smirked, Lloyd, Zane, and Nya couldn't help a snicker. "I have to say I missed you."

Cole looked pretty furious, but he seemed to do a pretty good job controlling his anger. His soft nostrils flared in rage, but he managed not to charge.

"Are you, and Flame staying for the wedding," Nya asked hopefully, changing the subject. She wanted more than anything for him to stay, but she wasn't expecting him to.

"Sorry, I can't," Kai sighed, looking as though he would've happily stayed. "I can't stay that long anyways. Being a fairy godbrother is difficult work." With that, he hopped back onto Flame, and prepared to depart.

"Take good care of Flame," Lloyd called.

"I'd never dream of harming him," Kai smiled, stoking the stallion's mane.

"What about Cole," Zane asked, motioning to his friend who was cantering around the balcony.

"Don't worry," Kai reassured him, sounding as if it was no big deal. "The spell will wear off in a matter of minutes."

Nya felt a few tears come to her eyes, and slowly spill over her cheeks. "Promise you'll visit again."

Kai smiled, "as often as I can."

Nya shared his smile as her tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy.

After Kai's spell on Cole had worn off, the three returned to their seats, leaving Nya alone. In a few minutes, she would join them, and the ceremony would begin. Nya expected them to feel like an eternity, but instead they came much faster than she thought.

As Nya walked down the long aisle of chairs, filled with guests, all her thoughts remained focused on one thing. All the citizens of Ninjago watched as she walked slowly down the aisle, followed by the many bridesmaids, and flower girls. Nya's gaze was locked on Prince Jay, for he was the only thought in her mind.

Throughout the whole ceremony, most of the preachers words left her, for everything around her was lost. All she saw was Jay. All Jay saw was Nya. None of them had ever felt happier.

"Do you, Prince Jay, take Nya as your wife," the preacher asked towards the end of the ceremony.

"I do," Jay replied, a huge smile spread across his face.

"And do you, Nya, take Prince Jay as your husband," the preacher asked, now turning to Nya.

"I do," Nya shared Jay's smile.

"I now pronounce you husband, and wife," the preacher closed his bible, smiling with the both of them. "You may kiss the bride."

Nya couldn't even recall exactly what the kiss had felt like. She was totally absorbed in the greatness of the moment. The crowd cheered, and applauded from their seats. Cole, Lloyd, and Zane, looked as though they could feel Nya's happiness. King Ed, and Queen Edna were both in tears. To Nya and Jay, it was perfect.

Indeed, happiness had been brought to not just Princess Nya, and Prince Jay, but to all the citizens of Ninjago. For they all lived happily ever after.

**I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did. Please R&R, and that stuff. Thanks for reading.**


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